The Role of the District Assembly in Poverty Alleviation; A Case Study of Pru District BY Anane Daniel Ogyedjator [B.A. (HONS) INFORMATION STUDIES/HISTORY, DIP.LIB. STUDIES A Thesis Submitted To the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF COMMONWEALTH EXECUTIVE MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (CEMPA) April, 2012 Declaration I Anane Daniel Ogyedjator, hereby declare that this submission is my own work towards the award of CEMPA (Commonwealth Executive Masters in Public Administration) and that, to the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University or elsewhere except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Anane Daniel Ogyedjator (PG3100209) …………………… ……………….. (Student Name & ID) Signature Date Certified by Mr. O. Adu –Gyamfi …………………… ……………….. (Supervisor’s Name) Signature Date Certified by Prof. I. K. Dontwi ………………………. ……………….. Dean, IDL Signature Date i DEDICATION This research work is dedicated first and foremost to the ALMIGHTY GOD for seeing me through my two years of Post-Graduate education. It is also dedicated to my parents, wife andchildren, my siblings,and to all friends and loved ones. This Enormous work whichis intended to help in the fight against poverty, especially in the rural areas, is also dedicated to the peopleof Pru District of Ghanain particular and the poor in the rural Ghana generally. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT A research work is not easy and for that matter may need the help of others. Truthfully and thankfully, I have received help in various forms whiles undertaking this study. I first thank the ALMIGHTY GOD for His protection and guidance throughout the period of this study. I must express my profound appreciation to my supervisor Mr. K.Adu-Gyamfi who has made this work a reality through his expert advice and guidance. I say God bless you. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to my beloved wife, Mrs.Nerisah Asare Ogyedjator for the immeasurable support and assistance rendered in various ways towards the successful completion of this work, most of all thank you for believing in me. My thanks also go to my mother, Madam Rose Yaa Manu and my children, Derrick-Titus, Christabel, Mark-Anthony and Antoinette for their love and prayers. My gratitude will not be complete without the mentioning of my friends and colleagues Mssrs. Bawa. Rexford Nii Okle Odei, Alhassan Sagoe Abass and Odei-Ampofo for their unquantifiable love and motivation. Finally, to all my staff members Albert Mordey, Ahmed Tamimu, Vida Antwiwaa, Richard Denteh, Nicholas Nyarko, Abdulai Fatau and well wishers especially Setto, Tisco as well as all those who helped in various ways and literally sharing this journey with me, I say thank you iii ABSTRACT Poverty is seen at two level by the Development Economists and other Social Scientists (International Community).First, it is lack of innovation,creativity,skills,experiencing technology and ability to provide basic human needs such as adequate food, clothing,shelter,portable water and health care. Second, it is viewed as lack of or inadequate income to enable humanbeings have access to basic human and social needs. By the two classifications about 65% to 70% of the population of Ghana is poor.In the case of Pru District, about 80% of the people do not have access to adequate food, water, education, health, shelter and so on. From the level of income distribution, 75% of the people earn less than GH¢200.00 per year. The people live dejected life because they do not have the financial means nor the technological knowhow to overcome their plight. Under Ghana’s decentralization policy, the Pru District Assembly has a big role to play to alleviate poverty of the people.The study was done to determine what the Assembly and the people are doing to alleviate or even reduce poverty. This is a descriptive study in which the researcher used various data collection instruments to collect data.The sample size of this study was made up of 170 respondents with the use of questionnaires and interviews to collect data from the respondents. The study found that respondents have different perception of poverty and what causes it. They also enumerated how poverty manifested itself in the district. As a result the Pru district holds poverty reduction high on its agenda by embarking on a series of programmes to reduce it. The study, recommended a shift from the over concentration on the provision of social services and infrastructure to employment generation, by structuring the Assembly to help enhance and improve on the objectives of setting up a Fund since it has the potential to reduce poverty in the rural areas. iv Table of Contents DECLARATION.......................................................................................................….............. i DEDICATION .............................................................................................................…............ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................................................................……v LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................................ix LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................... ….…...x LIST OF ACROYNMS ..................................................................................................................xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of Problem ...................................................................................................... .4 1.3 Objective of the Study…………........................................................................................5 1.4 Research Questions……………………………………………………………….……......5 1.5 Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………………...6 1.6 Propositions………………………………………………………………………………….6 1.7 Research Mothodology……………………………………………………………………...7 1.8 Scope and Limitation of Study……………………………………………………………...8 1.9 Importanceof the Study……………………………………………………………………..8 1.10 Organization of the Study…………………………………………………………………..9 v CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. …10 2.2 The Concept and Definition of Poverty ........................................................................... 10 2.3 The Concept of poverty as perceived by rural communities…………………………..….18 2.4 Poverty situation in Ghana ............................................................................ …………..21 2.5. Concept,Purpose and Objectives of Decentralisation .............................. …………..…23 2.6 Decentralisation in Ghana………………………………………………………...………26 2.7 Structure of an Assembly………………………………..…………………………...……28 2.8 Decentralisation as a policy toPoverty Alleviation ........................................................29 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCHMETHODOLOGYAND PROFILE OF STUDY AREA 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................31 3.2 The Research Design…………………………………………………..……………......31 3.3 Sampling Technique…………………………………………………………….…….....32 3.4 Sample Size…………………………………………………..……................................32 3.5 Sources of Data………………………………………………………………..…………..33 3.6 Data Collectioninstrument./Methods.………………………………………………….…34 3.7. Ethical Considerations…………………………………….………………………..……..34 3.8 Data Handling and Analysis………………………………………………………………35 3.9 Profile of Pru District……..………………………………………………………………35 3.10 Demographic Characteristics …………………………………………………………….36 3.11 Topography,Drainage, Vegetation and Climate………………………………………....36 vi 3.12 Human Settlement……………………………………………………………………...37 3.13 Economic Activities…………………………………………………………………....37 3.14 The Role of Civil Society Organizations in the District……………………………….39 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION ANDANALYSIS 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................40 4.2 Demographic Characteristics of respondents...................................... .………………40 4.2.1 Level or Dimensions of Poverty …………….……………………………………..…..42 4.2.2 Income Level ……………..……………………………………………………………44 4.3 Concept andAwareness of Poverty ................................................ ………………....45 4.4 Respondents categorization of Poverty Statuses of the People………………..............46 4.5 Characteristics of Poverty in theDistrict.......................................................................47 4.6. Causes of Poverty in the District………………………………………………………..48 4.7 Impact of Poverty on the Life of People in Pru District………………..………….……49 4.8 Effects of Poverty on the People in the Pru District……….. ........................................50 4.9 The Assembly’s Poverty Alleviation Programmes, Strategies and Projects…............ .51 4.9.1 Provision of InfrastructuralDevelopment as a way of Reducing Poverty…………….52 4.9.2 Poverty Reduction through Human Resource Development……………………………52 4.9.3 Poverty Reduction through Financial andCredit Facilities…………………………….54 4.9.4Reducing Poverty through Employment Creation……………………………………...54 vii CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS,CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................56 5.2 Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................56 5.3 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................59 5.4 Recommendations .........................................................................................................59 Bibliography .........................................................................................................................62 APENDIX I ............................................................................................................................ APPENDIX II ......................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables Table 3.1 Category of respondents…………………..……………………………….………….33 Table 3.2 Income Level per Year………………………………………………………………..38 Table 4.1 Number of respondents and savings by respondents per annum…………….……….44 ix