The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is not doing a good job managing the national capital. This is not meant to put down any individual or administration.

A World Bank funded assessment has laid bare some inconvenient truths that have to be looked at dispassionately for solutions to be found to the myriad problems confronting the city's management.

See story on front page. The question that begs for answers is why the AMA has been so ineffectual in its management of the city?

We cannot in these few editorial columns provide the answers, but one thing that is clear to us is that until local government enjoys the full benefits of decentralization, AMA and the other municipal and district assemblies will not be able to deliver the goods.

There is just too much sidelong glancing at the central government, which does not also hesitate to interfere.

The example of city decongestion comes to mind: Under the NPP administration, it was sacrificed for political expediency. Under this NDC administration, AMA is similarly hamstrung.

This is because it is the central government which appoints the chief executive and often calls the shots.

He or she is not directly elected by the citizens and so is more beholden to the appointing authority than to the people.

Could direct elections bring some fillip to City Hall? In major cities around the world, mayors are elected and we have seen how effective a lot of them have been.

Isn't it about time Ghanaian city dwellers were allowed to pick their own town/city managers?