The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday asked Ghanaians to fully embrace the decisive bold step to make the head of local governance directly elected by the people.
He said the concept would guarantee greater efficiency, accountability, democracy and development from the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
These were contained in a speech read on behalf of the President by the various designated officers at the inauguration of six newly created municipal and district assemblies across the country.
This brings to a total of 260 the number of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The new municipalities are Korle-Klottey, Ablekuma Central and Ayawaso Central, all carved out of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly of the Greater Accra Region with Osu, Lartebiokoshie and Kokomlemle declared as their respective capitals.
The North-East Gonja District Assembly is carved out of East Gonja Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region, Achiase District Assembly carved out of the Birim South District Assembly in the Eastern Region with Achiase as the capital and Anloga District Assembly carved out of the Keta Municipal Assembly in the Volta Region with Anloga as the capital.
The new assemblies were created in accordance with the 1992 Constitution and the Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936).
The inaugural ceremony of the new assemblies were held simultaneously and conducted by designated government officials.
The President also asked Ghanaians to make the decentralisation agenda work by minimising agitations on citing of district capitals, election of presiding members, appointment of government nominees, chief executives and provision of critical facilities in parts of the communities.
“People in particular local government areas shall, as far as practicable be afforded the opportunity to participate effectively in their governance,” he said.
The President said while the government was spearheading the efforts at alleviating and sustaining decentralisation, it was also imperative for stakeholders to be focused and committed to pursue the agenda of development with one purpose.
“I am determined to fully meet the constitutional imperative to ensure the accountability of local government authorities,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said the assemblies were considered to be essential for ensuring balance and equitable development at the local level, adding that they were the focal areas for the government’s rural and urban development agenda.
He said the assemblies were an integral part of his vision for economic and social transformation provided in the coordinated programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017-2024) presented to parliament.
President Akufo-Addo said with the main goals and vision being creating opportunities for all Ghanaians and building a prosperous nation, the flagship projects and initiatives in the short term would be successful if the assemblies play their respective roles by revitalising the economy and transforming agriculture and industry.
He indicated that it was then obvious that enormous responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of the assemblies regarding deeper political and administrative decentralisation.
It is recalled that the government presented Legislative Instrument (LI) for the creation of the new Assemblies to Parliament in November, last year.
Yesterday’s exercise showed that 150 Assemblies have been created by successive government between 1988 to 1989 when regions were split into 110 districts in an attempt to decentralise the government.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI & JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
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