PROMOTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CHIEFTAINCY INSTITUTIONS AND DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES: EVIDENCE FROM SISSALA EAST DISTRICT, UPPER WEST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The study examines the contribution of the District Assembly and Chieftaincy Institution in promoting rural development. The purpose was to provide empirical data on the contribution of the District Assembly and Chieftaincy Institution as stakeholders in the rural development agenda of local government in Ghana. This is against the backdrop of several criticisms and challenges confronting the Chieftaincy Institution, which have put the integrity of the institution in question in the Local Government System of Ghana. In this study, local government actors including heads of decentralized department, assembly members and district assembly staff were purposively sampled from the district. Household heads and chiefs were sampled from eight communities in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region, Ghana for the study. Four focus group discussions were conducted. The findings of the study reveal that the District Assembly and Chiefs have contributed in diverse ways to enhance development of the communities in the District. The contributions include playing advocacy role to enlighten the local citizenry in the area of payment of rates and taxes, their active involvement in elections (National and District) and the provision of watchdog role towards state properties in the communities of the District. Consequently, there is the need for collaboration between the two institutions in local governance processes to ensure effective partnership for sustainable rural development.