GENERAL

Avoid corrupt practices and ensure value for money – Hon. Ashitey
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Ishmael Ashitey has urged newly confirmed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to make judicious use of all funds that would be made available to them and also avoid corrupt practices and ensure value for money in all their transaction.

Date Created : 5/18/2017 7:24:16 AM : Story Author : Cecilia Kelly-Mensah/Ghanadistricts.com

He said this will complement the Government’s effort in curbing corrupt practices in the country and also cooperate with all interest groups within their jurisdiction especially MPs and Chiefs to ensure development.

The Minister was speaking at the swearing in ceremony for newly confirmed MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region at the Regional Coordinating Council.

Mr. Ashitey implore the newly confirmed MMDCEs to acquaint themselves with the requisite tools that they would need in the performance of their duties.  The tools he stated are The 1992 Constitution of Ghana, The Local Government Act 2016,(Act 936),The Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), The Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921), The Internal Audit Agency Act 2003 (Act 658) and The Local Government Service Protocols and Delivery Standards.

He observed that these six tools will expose them to the changing environment of  Local Governance , challenges, opportunities, their expected roles, and the appropriate attitudes and working relationships and ethics that would be required of them in the performance of their duties to bring the desired change in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

He urged them to be mindful of the fact that they are assuming a high office in the MMDAs at a time that the country is faced with a lot of challenges ranging from unemployment, sanitation, environmental degradation, waste collection, management and disposal, traffic congestion, leakages in revenue mobilization, low revenue mobilization, low revenue mobilization, land guards menace, chieftaincy disputes and other administrative and managerial challenges.

Notwithstanding the challenges stated above, the Minister admonished that the potentials in their respective Assemblies are many and that it will depend on their commitment and leadership to surmount the challenges and transform the Assemblies.  “Given the Presidents Developmental agenda, you are all challenged to position your Districts strategically to take advantages of many opportunities that would come when government rolls out the economic policies” he added.

Hon. Ashitey observed that the continuous stay in office of the newly confirmed MMDCEs to a large extent would depend on their performance and the extent to which they adhere to the rules and regulations governing the conduct business at the Assemblies avoiding partisanship in the performance of their duties.

Speaking on behalf of the newly confirmed MMDCEs, the Adenta Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Daniel A. Nii Noi Adumuah expressed their profound gratitude to God and the President and the Government for the confidence imposed in them to represent the government at the local level.

He said they would be up to the task they have been selected for and work together either as workers with the Assemblies or beneficiaries as customers with the Assemblies.

He thanked the Assembly members who voted massively for all the Chief Executives adding that they will be working in close collaboration with them.

“When we do not know what is on the ground we shall consult, where we have knowledge of where we are we shall apply the knowledge and whenever there is the need to move on higher realm, even as we engage traditional rulers, and various stakeholders, we will at all times remember that Greater Accra will always be in the lead” he added that they would discharge their duties honorably.