MMDCEs tasked to intensify education on district level elections
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, has tasked Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to intensify education on the forthcoming district level elections to ensure a high turnout.
Advertisement
He noted that it was the responsibility of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to educate the populace on the need to participate in the elections.
He, however, pointed out that the district assemblies, which were the end-users of the outcome of the elections, also had a role to play to ensure that people participated in the elections.
This, he said, was also to ensure that the right people were elected to strengthen the local governance system and ensure accountability and effective running of the various district assemblies in the country for the benefit of the people.
The district level elections are scheduled for March 3, this year.
During a visit to Gambaga in the East Mamprusi District in the Northern Region last Monday, as part of activities to mark the National Sanitation Day, scheduled to be held in Tamale on Saturday, Mr Debrah said the lack of interest by the populace in the district level elections tended to affect quality representation at the assemblies.
"Quality representation is a catalyst for development at the local level so educate your people on the need to participate in the district level elections to ensure quality representation at the assembly," Mr Debrah said.
He noted that although the district assemblies were responsible for the physical development of the districts, they must also be innovative to come up with viable projects that would create jobs for the people to improve their local economies.
Other Trending Stories
Consequently, Mr Debrah disclosed that the government, through his ministry, would initiate a programme to support individuals within the various districts across the country to go into small-scale enterprises (SMEs) to create jobs in the districts and also help improve the local economies.
According to the minister, the SMEs’ development projects would be geared towards adding value to agricultural products, as agriculture is the mainstay of most of the people in the districts.
He tasked district chief executives (DCEs) to identify local entrepreneurs with demonstrable abilities so that they could embark on those projects.
He further tasked the DCEs to double their efforts to complement the efforts of the central government.
Touching on sanitation, Mr Debrah said the ministry, through the central government, would provide some districts in the region with boreholes and sanitary facilities to improve on personal hygiene and halt open defaecation.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, said as a result of the vast nature of the region, only 13 out of the 26 districts would take part in the national sanitation exercise.
He, therefore, urged the people to come out in their numbers to ensure the success of the exercise.
Mr Debrah, in the company of the Northern Regional Minister and the DCE for East Mamprusi, Mr Adam Imoro, later paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of the Mamprugu State, Nayiri Naa Bahagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, at his palace at Nalerigu, to solicit his support for the National Sanitation Day exercise.