ABSTRACT
Ghana's 1992 Constitution obliges the state to implement policies and programmes to address the social, economic, and educational imbalances in society. Under the Directive Principles of State Policy, the protection and promotion of all basic human rights and freedoms, including the rights of the disabled, aged, children, and other vulnerable groups, is guaranteed by the state. For example, old-age pension in Ghana is provided to a small percentage of formal-sector employees government workers and people who work for private sector organisations who pay monthly state-scheme contributions. This chapter posits that a non-hierarchical structure does not pose a threat to mutual organisations' survival or effective governance, because the underpinning principles of mutuality and trust hold individuals in the group together. It presents a study that examines the governance patterns of mutual organisations that provide SP services in the Western Region of Ghana.
