NCCE HOLD SYMPOSIUM ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE AT BECHEM

The Tano South District directorate of the National Commission OF Civic Education has held a Symposium on Local Government Service for second cycle institutions at the St. Josephs Collage of Education  in the Tano South District at the collages auditorium at Bechem, the District Capital.

In an opening address, Miss Rhoda Akueteh of the NCCE said based on the principles and supremacy of the constitution Ghana has chosen  a constitutional multiparty democratic system of government and local government (Articles 35 and 240 respectively) as the best system of government.

She said, the NCCE was born out of this constitution under article 231 to create and sustain within the society the awareness of the constitution and to encourage the public to defend the constitution against all forms of abuse and violation which consequently will lead to the sustainability and consolidation of our democracy to ensure good governance.

Miss Akueteh mentioned that the patron in the exercise of its functions in spite of  its strenuous and limited resources the NCCE  is also focusing on the students within 1^st and 2^nd Cycle institutions to encourage them to read the constitution, appreciate constitution democracy  know their rights and to value what they as citizens are supposed to do for their country and stressed that she hoped after the presentation on the local government service it will enable the citizenry to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and disposition to deepen democratic culture which would lead to effective consolidation of our democracy.

In his presentation on the topic the Local Government Service   Act 2003 ( Act 656), the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari  Anaba outlined  the topic under five headings namely,

.  Brief history of decentralization and local government service

. Structure and membership of local government service

. Pillars of Decentralization

. Departments and MMDA s and their factions

. The role of Students

Hon. Anaba said decentralization involves the transfer of formal authority from smaller to a larger number of actors who use this authority to perform some services to the public and mentioned that the Government of Ghana (GOG) since 1988 has embarked upon the implementation of a comprehensive decentralization and local government reform programme as an alternative development strategy which is aimed at establishing efficient decentralized government machinery as a means to provide strong support for participatory development and was further given a boost by chapter 20 of the 1992 constitution.

Hon. Anaba said Article 240(i) of the constitution provides that Ghana shall have a system of local government and administration, which shall as far as practicable be decentralized. He said the constitution further provides that:

 Parliament shall formulate law to enhance the capacity of Local Government   Authority to plan, initiate, Co ordinator, manage and execute policies in respect of matters affecting the local people within their areas.

Also, there shall be established for each Local Government Unit, a sound financial base with adequate and reliable source of revenue.      

Again, to ensure accountability of Local Government authority, people in particular Local Government area shall as far as practicable be afforded the opportunity to participate effectively in governance.

Hon. Anaba said, other laws were passed to herald the local government service and administrative decentralization concept into existence and mentioned the PNDC Law 207 in 1988 which established the District Assembly system and many more.

Touching on National level structures, Hon. Anaba said the service has a council known as the Local Government council which is the highest governing body of the service made of 15 members, the local government secretariat headed by the head of service who is assisted by the chief Director and the Local Government Service is also divided into various sectors.

Hon. Anaba said Ghana’s decentralization programme is anchored in four inter- related pillars namely political decentralization, decentralized planning, fiscal decentralization and administrative decentralization and outlined the functions of the four pillars and said Ghana has made a significant progress in all the pillars and what is important is for all of us to get involved in our communities and district levels to bring about the needed transformation in the lives of our people.

The vice principal of St. Josephs collage of Education who chaired the function called on the students to be ambassadors of the programme and preach the local government service and decentralization system to the people and adviced them  on the use of temperate language and respect their parents, teachers and the elderly and avoid bad societal  norms and values to enable them become good future leaders of the country.

TANO SOUTH DISTRICT MARKS 57TH INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY AT BECHEM

A parade of school children, school cadet corps, artisans and other organized groups was held at Bechem to mark the 57^th Independence Day Anniversary.

Picture left shows a section of the school children at the parade grounds whilst picture right shows the dignitaries taking the guard of honour.

The parade which saw dignitaries like Hon. Dr. Hanna Louis Bissiw, the Deputy Minister of Agric, Hon. Bukari  Zakari Anaba, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Anthony Opoku,the Presiding member of Tano South Distirct Assembly, Honourable Assembly Members,  Mrs Mary Grace Bonye, the Tano South District Director of Education, Mr Sulemana B. Saaka, the Tano South District Cordinating Director, the Clergy ,Nananom and  Heads of Government Departments was climaxed with a march past of school children and students drawn from the second cycle institutions with the artisans from the Bechem Light Industrial Area also participating in the march past.

In an anniversary address read on behalf of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, Ghana has attained 57^th years since it gained its independence from the colonial masters and said independence day is a day set aside to remind ourselves especially the youth of the sacrifices our founding fathers made to attain independence. He urged all and sundry to pay tribute to Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and other members who struggled to attain independence for Ghana and charged the current generation and those who are yet to unborn to imitate the exemplary life of the big six.

                                    

The Tano South District Chief Executive reading the anniversary address.

Touching on the theme for this years’ celebration o f “building a better and prosperous Ghana through patriotism and national unity”  the DCE stressed that, the theme would help to offer Ghanaians the opportunity to ponder and reflect as people on various facets of live and mentioned the advantages which patriotism brings to a nation which he said makes one exercises love and willingness to sacrifice for his country, inspire us for noble deeds and natures human feeling and brotherhood among people.

On national unity, the DCE said, it is the act of making together as one people with a common purpose and destiny and explained that, we cannot build a better and prosperous Ghana, if we make partisan politics tear us apart and hinted that people cannot be united, if there is no peace and congratulated Nananom, security agencies, district education directorate, Hon. Assembly members and other people for working in harmonious manner to help maintain peace in the district.

On Ghana’s economy, the DCE said since Ghana has attained middle income level, sometimes the country would encounter difficulties and when such challenges come people should take it as a temporary thing  and advised people to support the government to enable the government achieve its vision for the country.

The District Chief Executive used the occasion to explain some government  policies and intervention programmes ,and touched on education by saying that since education is the bedrock of our development the  government is committed to making education accessible to all and as a result, government will continue to expand infrastructure in our schools across the educational structure thereby creating more opportunities in our colleges of education to absorb more qualified Senior High School graduates who wish to take teaching as a profession. He announced that, the Tano  South District is part of the first fifty out of the two hundred (200) beneficiary districts which would receive the community day senior high schools the government has proposed to build in the country to help students have comfortable places for learning.

On the falling standard of education in the district, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, the Tano South Assembly has informed the district education oversight committee made of a five (5) member committee to investigate into the matter and present a report to the Assembly on the causes of the falling trend in education to enable the Assembly take corrective measures to reverse the disturbing trend.

The DCE said the President has directed all MMDA’s to name streets and address properties within their jurisdictions and stressed that, Tano South District’s street naming and property address team was inaugurated in September, 2013 and hinted that, when the project is fully implemented, it would help the utility service providers, security agencies and emergency services to respond promptly to distress call when the need arise and  urged Nananom, Assembly Members and other stakeholders to co-operate with the field workers and  provide the team with accurate information to help make the exercise a success.

The District Chief Executive concluded his address by urging students to work hard and stay away from immoral lifestyles, issues of drugs, alcoholism, violence, and sexual activities to enable them devote their time for learning.

 In a short address, the Member of Parliament for Tano South Constituency, Hon. Dr. Hanna Louis Bissiw advised the youth to work hard to enable them attain higher heights in life and urged them to respect their parents, teachers and the elderly people.

  

The Member of  Parliament for Tano South Constituency addressing the gathering and decorating a pupil

At the end of the parade, certificates were presented to all the participating schools and prizes were awarded to the first best three schools in the primary, JHS, and the second cycle categories for their  performance in the march past.

A section of the school children in the march past.