The Ministry of Local Government, decentralisation and Rural Development in collaboration with the Office of the President inaugurated 259 District Assemblies with the exception of Nkoranza North and South District Assembly on the 12th of February, 2024.
The reason for the exemption was explained by the Electoral Commission that the tenure of office for assembly members in these two districts are yet to expire, as they held their election in 2021, unlike others who held theirs in 2019.
The inauguration took place in the various District Assemblies across the country with the swearing-in of the Assembly Members and Government Appointees.
In a welcome address at the 9TH session of the inaugural ceremony for the Ajumako -Eyann-Essiam District Assembly, Hon. Ransford Nyarko the District Chief Executive (DCE) urged the outgone Assembly Members to take new elected colleagues through the learning process of the Assembly.
Out of sixty-eight Assembly Members who were sworn into office, 12 were government appointees and 47 were elected in the Ajumako-Eyann-Essiam district.
At the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District, the Chief Executive, Hon. Lawrence Edutuah-Asiaw expressed that, the District Assembly had a lot of success stories which they were grateful for and this does not leave out the challenges they face in executing some of these success stories.
He mentioned that, the failures only helped to learn better and was hopeful that the positions the Assembly Members held will be grounds for a new learning experience and more achievements.
The district sworn in 32 elected District Assembly members which included a female and 12 government appointees.
Hon. Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah, Deputy Minister for Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development and also Member of Parliament for Techiman South represented President Akufo-Addo in the two Districts.
In his speech, President Akufo-Addo said the inauguration of the District Assemblies came at a time when efforts are being made by the Government through the Local Government Ministry to improve upon mobilising Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) of the MMDAs.
He noted that the government was keen on building the capacity of Assembly Members to provide effective local leadership.
The Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), an academic institution under the sector Ministry has been retooled with state-of-the-art facilities and other training resources to enable them to effectively provide the needed training for their competence enhancement.
He also urged the District Assemblies to help enforce planning standards in compliance of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) as well as other regulations governing human settlements and spatial planning.
The Inaugration was successful and ended with the assurance from the President to train the newly elected Assembly Members to guard them in their duties to the nation.
Source: Humble Owusu-Yeboah & Rhodaline Abba ((MLGDRD, PR Unit)