Professor Mensah Emphasizes Discipline for Effective Local Government Service

The Head of the Local Government Service (LGS), Professor Lord Mensah, has underscored the need for discipline, punctuality, and strict adherence to administrative procedures, warning that negative work attitudes continue to undermine effective service delivery. Prof. Mensah made the remarks during a working visit to the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly (YKMA), as part of efforts by the Local Government Service to assess working conditions at the municipal level and strengthen productivity and accountability across the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). He cautioned that indiscipline, absenteeism, lateness to work, insubordination, and the bypassing of established reporting channels are practices that hinder the growth of the Local Government Service. He urged heads of departments to take responsibility for enforcing accountability, stressing that discipline must begin with leadership and cascade down to every officer within the Assembly. Prof. Mensah outlined four strategic pillars guiding the operations of the Local Government Service: data-driven decision-making in human resource management; professionalising the Service to build a disciplined and competent workforce; investment in public-private partnerships; and the promotion of fiscal decentralisation. According to him, effective implementation of these strategies would enhance efficiency, improve revenue generation, and enable Assemblies to attain financial autonomy and reliable cash flows. He also advocated the establishment of a crèche at the Assembly to support nursing mothers, noting that such an intervention could significantly improve staff productivity and retention. “Supporting nursing mothers at the workplace is not a luxury; it is a productivity measure,” he added. The Municipal Chief Executive of Yilo Krobo, Mr Francis Addo Akumatey, highlighted persistent challenges affecting staff welfare and service delivery in the municipality. He cited uneven staff distribution across departments, acute shortages in the Works, Agriculture, Roads, and Finance Departments, and inadequate office accommodation for heads of departments. “Our staff strength is unevenly distributed, leaving critical departments overstretched while others are overstaffed,” the MCE noted.