Champion of Local Governance: Nana Ato Arthur
Any nation must not be static, but grow and advance. What may be ideal today, may have to change or transform for the better if that nation is to be a haven of high standard of living, security, rule of law and justice for all.
As Ghana goes into Election 2024, with a new president to be installed, there are some personalities who look poised to lead the Ghana’s renaissance to become the leader of Africa and to rub shoulders with second and some first world countries.
I begin with a fine gentleman, Dr. Ing Nana Ato Arthur who was born from a poor and humble background. He started schooling at the Saaman Berase Catholic Primary and Middle School, where after passing the Common Entrance Examinations went to Fijai Secondary School in Sekondi, Western Region, from 1976 to 1981. After successfully passing his GCE O’ Level, he entered St. Augustine Secondary School for his A’ Level from 1981 to 1983.
Nana Ato Arthur, had a scholarship to study engineering in China. In that country, he took a one-year course in Hanyu (Chinese language) at the Beijing Language Institute and after being very literate in the language, he went on to undertake a four-year course in engineering at the South China Agriculture University in Guangzhou, China where he graduated in 1989.
Back in Ghana in 1990, Nana Ato Arthur did his national service at the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) and after completion of his service, he was retained and given full employment as the Asst. Engineer Consultant. In 1998, he took up employment in the State Enterprise Commission from 1998 to 2001.
With the coming into power of the NPP Kufuor’s administration, Nana Ato Arthur was made the District Chief Executive (DCE) of KEEA in the Central region.
This was where his sound administrative skills became manifest. He facilitated the Elmina 2015 MDG, which was made up of five key thematic areas namely, tourism, fishing, education, health and sanitation.
He promoted Sister City Partnership with Gouda Municipality in the Netherlands, Ottawa city in Canada and Macon in Georgia, USA. All these cities supported KEEA with sanitation trucks, exchange programmes, fire tenders and redevelopment of heritage houses in Elmina including the renovation of the St. George’s Castle.
From 2005 to 2006, Nana Ato Arthur became the Central Regional deputy minister under the Kufuor administration. And from 2006 to 2009, he became the sustentive minister of the region.
As minister, Nana Ato Arthur supported a number of districts as far as promotion of tourism was concerned. He was key in the promotion of local economic development and he championed educational scholarships for the youth. He started the Cape Coast, Elmina and Manford landing beaches and also the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
His hallmark was Peace and Development in the Central region and bringing traditional governance closer to main stream governance. Here traditional authorities are seen as key in governance.
With the NPP exiting power in 2009, Nana Ato Arthur went to Germany to pursue a PhD course in Development Studies at the University of Bonn from July 2009 to July 2012.
Back in Ghana in 2012, he contested for the seat of the KEEA constituency in the December General Elections and won to become the first NPP MP from that constituency.
In Parliament from 2013 to 2017, he served under the following sub-committees: Appointment, Mineral and Energy and Public Accounts, among others.
In 2017, with the return of the NPP and under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration, he was appointed the Head of Local Government Services, overseeing 16 Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC) and 261 MMDAs, as far as administrative decentralisation is concern.
Dr Ing Nana Ato Arthur has endeared himself in public life. He is the President of GR Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants and the Vice President of Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) and an adjunct lecturer of the School of Services and Governance, GIMPA. He was also a keynote speaker in the International Masters Summer School in the University of Bradford, UK.
As the Head of Local Government Services, the Performance Contract System (PCS) has been a hallmark. The PCS is strengthened in the MMDAs, by ensuring professionalism and enabling the MMDAs to embrace digitalisation.
Under his administration there have been regular promotional interviews and the upgrading and conversion of qualified staff. Since March 2017, with support and approval of the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 13,750 peoples have been recruited into the Local Government Services.
Dr Ing Nana Ato Arthur has got qualities that can place him in the highest office of the land. He is very principled and hard working. He is so just and would not favour anybody based only on cronyism, blood relations. He goes directly with the rules and laws and can never be bent to swing towards the wrong direction.
With such a person in any authority, one has to have everything correct as required before approaching him. He can make possible almost any impossible situation.
Dr. Ato Arthur, does not allow his successes in life to induce pride in him. From his poor and humble background, he is humility personified and he is very honest in his ways. He is also very disciplined and that makes him one of the people who nothing wrong had been reported or said about him in his line of duty to the people and the state.
He is the kind of person needed for Ghana’s renaissance, someone who will want to leave a legacy that will benefit the community.
Amadu Kamil Sanah
