TANO SOUTH DISTRICT ASSEMBLY HOLDS THIRD ORDINARY MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION

The Tano South District Assembly has held its third ordinary meeting of the second session at Bechem the District Capital.

The meeting which attracted fifty one (51) out of the member assembly saw on its agenda the election of a presiding member which was very paramount as according  to an Assembly member in the person of Hon. Collins Offinam Takyi who moved a motion in this respect calling on the entire membership to consider the election of the presiding member as the first on the agenda so that the elected presiding member could preside over the meeting or the meeting be postponed.

This motion which was seconded was carried out and the staff of the electoral commission were called in to conduct the elections which saw the outgoing presiding member in the person of Hon. Anthony Opoku as the sole candidate for the position.The election  saw Hon. Opoku polling fifty (50) votes out of the total fifty one (51) votes cast.

In an acceptance speech the Newly elected presiding member Hon. Opoku expressed his profound gratitude and appreciation to members for the confidence they have reposed on him by re – electing him through popular acclamation to lead the August house as the presiding member for the second term. He stated that he enjoyed working with them during his first term and was his expectation that they would grant him the necessary attention and co – operation in order to deliver to the people as expected of them. He told members that his success in theirs as his failure would also be their failure for which reason they need to guide against any act that would bring disgrace to the Assembly.

Hon. Opoku took members through Act 462  part l section 8(1) and sub section (2) which dealt with cassation of office as a member of District Assembly and also informed the house that a motor bike belonging to Hon. Bright Samuel Amankwaa has been stolen from his house in Derma and called on all gathered to   look out for the missing motor bike and on behalf of the entire house expressed their sympathy to the honorable member.

In concluding his address, Hon. Opoku thanked Hon. Members, Heads of Departments and other bodies that had contributed in diverse ways to make his first term in office as the presiding member a success and hoped they would continue to cooperate and support the house so that they can provide effective and productive leadership. He requested that they support him in his second term in office.

In his address to the house the District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba welcomed honorable Assembly members and all gathered into the year 2013 and back to the house for the 3^rd ordinary meeting of the second session of the house. He said they have gathered as the Assembly and the main development agent of Government at the local level to evaluate their performance over the past months. He said he was particularly impressed about the smart turn out of Hon. Members,Heads of Department, Nananom and indeed of gathered.

Hon. Anaba said the meeting was in fulfillment of the standing orders which required that the Assembly meets from time to time to deliberate  on issues affecting the district and suggest solutions to them. Hon Anaba acknowledged the presence of a representative of the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional Area and  Hon. Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw the new member of Parliament for the Tano South Constituency and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture who he said will henceforth participate in the Assembly’s meetings as an Ex – officio member and congratulated her though she was not personally present due to equally important National assignment on her election as MP and also her appointment as Minister of staff.

On revenue generation Hon. Anaba reminded members that, we all know money is the live wire of any District Assembly as the ability of any Assembly as the ability of any Assembly to embark of development projects depends on the availability of revenue and in the light of this this it behoves on the Assembly to strategize and use every available and acceptable means to mobilize enough revenue especially internally generated funds for the development of the district.

Hon. Anaba said whilst talking about the need to raise more revenue for the District he wished to state that the Assembly’s performance was nothing good to write home about which he said was seriously affecting the performance.

Hon. Anaba said out of the total budget of GHȼ 449,945.00 for the year 2012 an amount of  163, GHȼ 336.91 was  collected which represented 36,31% of the total budget and said as at the end of March 2013 and amount of GHȼ 30,922.89 out of the budget figure of GHȼ474,509.00 representing 6.52 % of the total budget for the year 2013 had been realized, a situation which needs much attention because less than half of the estimated 25% for the first quarter was achieved. He said in an effort to address this unfortunate trend management has rolled out various strategies to take the issue of low revenue generation in the District.

The Hon. District Chief Executive briefed the house on the status of development projects, current projects, on ongoing and completed, Education, Security, and gave out recommendations of the executive committee.  

Hon. Anaba concluded his address by expressing his gratitude to Hon. Assembly members, MP, Heads of Departments and Nananom for their continued support for the development of District and again warmly welcomed all and wished them a fruitful deliberations in advancing the Better Ghana Agenda and finally s introduced the new District Coordinating Director in the person of Mr. Stephen Kofi Agyei his three deputies and all the newly posted staff to the District   Assembly to the house    

CONCERN NDC MEMBERS DEMONSTRATES IN TANO SOUTH DISTRICT AGAINST POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT OF INCUMBENT DCE

A group of the National Democratic Congress sympathizers calling themselves concern NDC members of Tano South Constituency have demonstrated in the Tano South District Capital of Bechem against the possible retaining of the incumbent District Chief Executive in the person of Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba by the president.

The group numbering about nine amid brass band music and wearing red hand bands and attires walked and danced in a procession for a distance of about 1/8 kilometer and returned to the base where they previously gathered. The group in the course of the demonstration carried placards some of read. ‘’Bukari Zakari Anaba, stop awarding dubious contracts ‘’Mr. President we want a humble and respectful DCE for Tano South.” Though the purported demonstration was announced prior to the day of the demonstration on a Local Community Information Centre for all concerned NDC Sympathizers to meet at the Bechem Community Centre it did not attract any patronage from the constituency NDC Members as their number could well be described as it had not received any blessing from the Constituency Executives but being organized by a few disgruntled elements within party.

A source indicates that when the announcement was made on the Local Information Centre by the leader of the group a counter announcement was also made on the same medium that the constituency executives and members of the party including it’s chairman were not aware of any such demonstration been organized therefore disassociates itself from such plan.

Also in a press release after the announcement and signed by the Constituency Chairman in the person of Asare Fofie Joseph and headed “Tano South NDC Executives Disassociates themselves from Demonstration.

The release read’’ at an emergency meeting held at the constituency office at Bechem on Monday, 15^th April, 2013, the following resolutions were arrived at.

(a)    That Tano South NDC disassociate itself from the intended demonstration organized by a group of people calling themselves as concerned NDC.

(b)   That the party has no branch or group calling themselves concerned group in the constituency

(c)    That the party is happy wining Tano South Seat and concerned with its performance in the general election.

(d)   That we are calling all well meaning NDC faithfuls not to participate in the intended demonstration

(e)    That, if those interested in the District Chief Executive (DCE) position are behind they should henceforth stop.

(f)    That the party has no intention of demonstrating against the District Chief Executive (DCE).

 The said demonstration though was carried out by the few disgruntled elements within the party as described some NDC faithfuls interacted with observed that the constituency NDC Executives and its members had a lot to be happy with the incumbent District Chief Executive since he toiled day and night during the election campaign period and led the party to wrestle the Tano South Constituency Parliamentary Seat from the NPP and also has demonstrated his total commitment to the National Democratic Congress.

Public reaction after the demonstration also indicated that the majority of people who watched the not too long demonstration were of the view that the DCE during his first four years has done a lot for the District in terms of developmental projects and rather needed commendation but not condemnation.