Assembly members need proper training — Tema Mayor

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, is advocating a proper training of assembly members through certificate courses at relevant institutions to build a solid and resilient National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) that will strengthen the decentralisation process in the country.

“Vigorous training and capacity building of members at the Institute of Local Government, the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) among others will equip them with the requisite skills to discharge their mandate well and be relevant even after their term of office,” he said.

The Tema Mayor, who is the President of NALAG, launching his campaign in Ho to be re-elected at the upcoming NALAG elections, said he was going to spearhead the capacity building training for the assembly members since it was important for the promotion and development of good local government administration and decentralisation in Ghana.

He identified issues of welfare, poor remuneration, incessant conflicts between presiding members (PMs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES), and low women participation in local governance among others, to be some of the key issues that hampered the work of the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies across the country.

Welfare of members

Outlining some of the things he would pursue to enhance the work of the various assemblies, Mr Anang-La who has held the position as NALAG president for the past two years said if re-elected he would set up a robust welfare fund and initiate the process for assembly members to be treated like article 71 holders where their ex-gratia would be paid from the consolidated fund instead of the meagre internally generated fund of the assemblies.

Also, he said he would advocate by-election for assembly members who would die or who for one reason or another were no more with the assembly, so that the electoral area would not be left out on developmental programmes of the assembly.

Following the launch of his campaign, the Tema Mayor, on behalf of the Local Government minister, presented 1,037 motorbikes to be distributed to the assembly members in the Volta Region as part of government’s effort to facilitate their work in the various assemblies.

As President, I shall initiate a constitutional review to expand the National Executive Committee (NEC) for the inclusion of regional deans of MMDCEs and presiding members to ensure an all-inclusive representation and enhance effective flow of information among the various stakeholders,” he said.

Distribution of motorbikes to assembly members

Mr Anang-La is also advocating a four-year term period for the PM’s to be in line with the mandate of the Speaker of Parliament and MMDCEs to end the animosity associated with their elections every two years.

Following the launch of his campaign, the Tema Mayor, on behalf of the Local Government minister, presented 1,037 motorbikes to be distributed to the assembly members in the Volta Region as part of government’s effort to facilitate their work in the various assemblies.pol