The Tano
South District Assemby like all other Assemblies in the country has inaugurated
its new Assembly members at a colourful ceremony held at Bechem the District
capital.
Dignitaries and a cross
section of the general public
The Tano
South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba in a welcome address
at the inaugural ceremony used the occasion to welcome all present and thanked
them for honouring the invitation and said their presence at the function
underscores the importance they attach to the inaugural ceremony since the
inauguration of the new Assembly Members would bring governance to the doorstep
of the people.
The Tano South District
Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba
addressing the gathering
Hon.
Anaba said the Assembly was set by LI 1765 of the Local Government Act 1993
with the vision of ‘Reducing the level of economic, social and political
deprivation through effective utilization of the limited resources to harness the
existing potentials and opportunities to improve the living standards of its
people’’ and this vision cannot be realised without the collaboration and
collective effort of all stakeholders.
Hon.
Anaba said since its establishment various plans and strategies have been
rolled out by successive duty bearers to ensure the realization of this vision
and said it is his sincere hope that the Assembly which is to be inaugurated
today will work in the interest of achieving the vision and paid tribute to the
critical role the previous Assembly played in bringing Local Government
Administration to the people.
He said
as a result of their hard work the electorates have found it necessary to
return some of them back to the Assembly to continue to represent them and used
the occasion to welcome the new members to the team and hoped they would use
their expertise to bear on the performance of the Assembly.
Hon.
Anaba acknowledged the immense support the Assembly received from the Central
Government, the Regional Co-ordinating council, Traditional Authorities and many
others and hinted that the cordial relationship between them would continue to
grow in the interest of the Assembly.
Hon.
Anaba assured the Assembly Members that management of the Assembly would
continue to work with them to ensure standards are maintained by ensuring that
Tano South first placement on the District League-Table is maintained.
The
Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation who stood
in for H. E the President in the Presidential Inaugural address said since
Ghana introduced the Decentralized System of governance, governments over the
years have been able to put in maximum efforts to strengthen the process of
decentralization by providing financial support such as the District Assembly
Common Fund, District Development Facility and the Local Capacity Development
Project.
The
Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Dr.
Bernice Adiku Heloo addressing the gathering
She said,
government would continue to provide Institutional support through the
establishment of sub-district level political structures such as Urban, Towns
and Area Council and Unit Committees and
said these structures would provide the required support to the District
Assemblies especially in the implementation of decision making, projects and
programmes.
She said,
the role of the Assemblyman is a crucial one since it entails a lot such as
educating the public on government policies and programmes and also consulting
the people on issues discussed at the Assembly and also tabling the concerns of
the people at Assembly meetings.
She said,
the District Assembly System has helped to enhance our Democracy and called on
Assembly Members to co-operate in the discharge of their duties since their
work entails sacrifices but not personal interests.
She said,
laws exist to deal with issues like bush fires and others and called on the
Assembly to make adequate by-laws to check all illegal activities carried out
by the people in the district.
She
hinted that discussions are on-going with the higher courts to promulgate laws
that would make the national sanitation day clean-up exercises mandatory so
that offenders who fail to participate in it could be prosecuted
She on
behalf of H. E. the President inaugurated the fifty-seven (57) Member Assembly
for the Tano South District.
The
Regional Electoral Officer, Mr. Gyabaah who conducted the election on the
position of Presiding Member for the Assembly took the Assembly Members through
the electoral laws before the election was carried out and at the end the
formal Presiding Member, Hon. Anthony Opoku who stood un-opposed polled
fifty-five votes of the fifty-seven votes cast to retain his position.
Mr. Gyabaah educating
Honourable Members on the electoral
process
The
District Magistrate of the Bechem District Magistrate Court, Her Worship Yakubu
Hajia Memunatu Jebuni swore the Assembly members into office.
Her Worship Yakubu
Hajia Memunatu Jebuni swearing - in the Assembly members into office
The various
sub-committees of the Assembly were established and the convener for each
committee also chosen.
