The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has appealed to the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, to help secure office accommodation for the Legal Aid Commission in all 16 districts of the region.
The Committee said the lack of dedicated district offices was undermining efforts to decentralise legal aid services and making it difficult for poor and vulnerable residents to access legal assistance without travelling to the regional capital.
The Committee’s Chairperson and Member of Parliament for Daboya/Mankarigu, Mahama Shaibu, made the appeal when the Committee paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in Tamale on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The engagement formed part of a three-day monitoring visit to the Upper East and Northern Regions to assess the operations and challenges confronting the Legal Aid Commission.
Mr Shaibu said establishing offices at the district level would enable the Commission to station personnel closer to communities and provide timely legal assistance to people who might otherwise be unable to afford private legal services or travel long distances to seek help.
He called for collaboration among Parliament, the Regional Coordinating Council, district assemblies and other stakeholders to address the Commission’s logistical and infrastructural challenges.
Responding, Mr Adolf assured the Committee that the Regional Coordinating Council would engage the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to explore available options for providing suitable accommodation for the Commission.
He said a stronger district-level presence of the Legal Aid Commission would help remove barriers to justice and improve access to legal services, particularly for financially disadvantaged residents.
The Minister underscored the Commission’s role in promoting access to justice, good governance, social equity and the protection of citizens’ rights, and pledged the Regional Administration’s support for efforts to strengthen its operations.
The Committee’s monitoring exercise, which covered Bolgatanga and Tamale, is expected to inform measures to improve the Commission’s operational capacity and decentralise legal aid services across the two regions.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
