Daboase : November 2015

HON ANTHONY E. AGGRYE DCE FOR WASSA EAST DISTRICT-DATABASE

DR. KWABENA DONKOR MINISTER OF POWER AND DSP. MR OHENE-DJAN

WASSA EAST DISTRICT: STOP OVER RELIANCE ON COMMON FUND

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have been admonished to stop the over-reliance on the common fund and other central Government releases before they can undertake developmental projects.

The Minister for Power, Hon. Dr. Kwabena Donkor gave the admonition at the inauguration of the 7^th Assembly of the Wassa East District Assembly at Daboase in the Western Region.

He said assemblies have the potential to generate revenue for development purposes but this is not fully exploited, adding that one area they need serious attention is property rate collection and with the appropriate data, this could serve as the basis for improved collection of rates.

Hon. Kwabena Donkor said designers of the local government system have built delicate checks and balances into the system, stressing that the principal actors, thus the District Chief Executive, Presiding Member, Member of Parliament, District Coordinating Directors, Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members and Traditional Authorities must respect the prescribed boundaries of their responsibilities and rights and recognize that nobody is superior to the other and work hard together as a people with a common objective to develop the district.

He acknowledged Government’s role in providing logistics, staffing and office accommodation, however, assemblies must generate the needed revenue not only for recurrent expenditure but also for funding developmental projects.

The Energy Minister bemoaned the unplanned and haphazard development currently going on in most assemblies, adding that it is so nauseating to see shims being development in mashy areas and houses being built in water ways. He however cautioned staff of Town and Country Planning Department to abide by the rules and regulations of their profession concerning the allocation of plots and ensure that the plots are developed according to their designated land use, in order to avoid the danger of the flooding and the accompanying loss of lives and property.

On the issue of sanitation the Minister said if assemblies could apply the same enthusiasm with which the assembly use in building schools, clinics, market and water supplies, electricity projects feeder roads among others to check environmental degradation and ensuring environmental sanitation then the future of the children of Ghana will be assured. In an address the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Wassa East Hon. Anthony Emmanuel Aggrey congratulated the assembly members for wining the mandate of the electorates but was quick to add that they should see their election as a call to serve their people rather than to lord themselves over them.

He said it is the responsibility of assembly members to keep their electorates abreast with government programmes and also to ensure that they do not exist only as assembly members but function effectively by helping to mobilize both human and material resources ensure effective development of the district.

The DCE urged the assembly members to open up for consultations with the electorates at all levels, saying that the hallmark of a good leader is his/ her abilities to open up and consult widely before arriving at a decision.

For his part the acting chief for Wassa Fiase traditional area Nana Kwadu Kyerefour III, advised the assembly members to humble themselves for their electorates as well as staff and management of the assembly.

He cautioned them not to interfere in chieftaincy issues since that is not the reasons why they were elected.

Meanwhile the assembly could not elect a presiding member for the assembly since non of the contestant could not obtain 2/3 of the required votes to be elected as presiding member.

Mr. Stephen Mensah Kwofie former Presiding member of the assembly obtained 17 out of 31 valid votes cast, whiles Mr. Stephen Kuma Angu obtained 7 votes with 7 spoilt ballot.