Hajia Alima Mahama
Some newly-created district assemblies have been inaugurated with a call by senior government officials to support the effort towards accelerated development.
From Tema, Vincent Kubi reports that the inauguration of the Tema West District Assembly with its headquarters at Community 2, was supervised by Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo.
He charged the assembly to devise strategies to manage sanitation better to ensure that Tema West becomes the cleanest district in the country.
“One problem facing all districts is sanitation. We want to see the Tema West municipality become the cleanest in Ghana,” he stressed.
The senior minister said that the creation of new districts was in fulfillment of a Manifesto promise the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made before the 2016 elections, and was optimistic that the people would keep faith with the government to ensure continuity in governance for the development of the nation.
“Let’s unite for a common purpose and that purpose is to improve the quality of life of the members of this district. We want every assemblyman to be committed to this assembly.” the Senior Minister pleaded.
The Tema West District Assembly is the fourth after Ashaiman, Adenta amd Kpone-Katamanso Assemblies, to be carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Felix Mensah Anang-La, pledged in a short address to work hard to ensure the smooth development of the city.
Nii Adjei Kraku II, paramount chief of Tema who chaired the function, commended the government for creating the district and urged everyone to offer their support in nurturing it.
From Effia in the Western Region, Emmanuel Opoku reports that the Minister of Railways Development, Joe Ghartey inaugurated the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA).
The EKMA, formerly Effia-Kwesimitsim Sub-Metro, has a population of over 300,000 per records from the Ghana Statistical Service in the 2010 Population and Housing Census.
There are 12 electoral areas under the new assembly. They include Effia, Effiakuma East and West, Effiakuma Zongo, East Tanokrom, Anaji East and West, Kwesimintsim, Sabo Zongo, Sofo Zongo, Asakae and Apremdo.
According to Mr. Ghartey, the creation of the new assembly would bring governance closer to the doorsteps of the people and stressed the need for grassroots support in ensuring an accelerated development.
“There will also be effective mobilization of resources for the provision of infrastructure to help enhance the quality of life of the residents in the newly-created assembly,” he assured.
The minister appealed to petty traders and property owners in the district to pay their levies and taxes to enable the assembly to mobilize enough revenue towards the speedy development of the area.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, K.K Sam, praised President Akufo-Addo for creating more districts, saying, “Our land use has been growing at such a speed that we need a lot of social infrastructure such as road networks, hospitals, water and electricity, among others.”
The 12-member elected assembly members of EKMA were later sworn into office and Mr Samuel Nana Andoh Mensah was introduced as the first coordinating director of the newly-created assembly, which would be operating from an Integrated Social Centre facility at Effia.
According to Daniel Bampoe, who reported from Okere in the Eastern Region, the Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour, represented President Akufo-Addo at the inauguration of the Okere District at Adukrom.
He said the creation of the district “will ensure effective and efficient decentralization through grassroots participation, better planning and improved service delivery in local communities.”
Two municipal and four district assemblies were outdoored in the region yesterday.
It brings to 32, the number of districts and municipalities in the region while the constituencies remain 33.
Apart from Okere, Atiwa East, Asene-Manso and Fanteakwa South Districts were also inaugurated simultaneously.
The new Okere District, which was carved from Akuapem North, has Nana Kantinka Addi as the new Presiding Member.
Dan Kwaku Botwe, the Okere MP who doubles as Minister of Regional Reorganization and Development and Denis Aboagye, the Akuapem North Municipal Chief Executive, commended President Akufo-Addo for elevating the area.
From Bechem in the Tano South Municipal Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Daniel Y. Dayee reports that the acting Chairman of Local Government Select Committee in Parliament and MP for Tano South, Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, presided over the inauguration.
Tano South Municipal Assembly is one of the assemblies in the region that were elevated to municipal status in addiction to two newly created districts at Berekum West and Pru West.
Mr. Sekyere said the elevation of some district assemblies must come with improved service delivery, improved economic activities to ensure growth and development at the local level.
He said most of the assemblies could not generate enough revenue due to lack of economic activities and said, “Even those who generate enough revenue only use them for allowances for officials.” He therefore, asked the assemblies to look for more innovative ways of generating economic activities that could increase their revenue base for development.
He said that a study conducted by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Governance revealed that most assemblies do not utilize their Internally Generated Fund appropriately for development.
Deputy Minister for Defence and MP for Nkoranza North, Major Derrick Oduro (Rtd) also inaugurated the Tano Municipal Assembly.
He said the president is determined to ensure accountability at the local level by giving the local people the opportunity to elect their own MMDCEs.
The Omanhene of Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Ofosu Gyeabour II, who was the chairman for the occasion, thanked the president for the development.