The strategic documents which involve Gender; Advocacy; and communication shall henceforth serve as compass to lead the Association into a new era.

The documents, which are rooted in research, shaped by stakeholder consultation and designed to enhance accountability, inclusivity and resilience in local governance are expected to reposition the association and ensure effectiveness and efficiency in local governance and decentralization.

Speaking at the launch which took place at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday, President of the Association, Alfred Asiedu Adjei, described the strategic documents as a through reflection on NALAG’s vision and a powerhouse to reposition the Association, not only as a national force in local governance but a globally recognized institution capable of attracting investors, donor support and international collaboration.

He therefore charged members to familiarize themselves with the new framework in order to achieve the expected results.

Touching on the ongoing confirmation of various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE), Mr Asiedu Adjei urged assembly members to eschew partisan politics but rather work in unity to ensure a speedy confirmation processes for all appointees.

On his part, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, charged NALAG to reactivate its interest in playing an oversight responsibility at the local level.

According to him, the onus lies on NALAG to ensure that resources are equitably distributed at the local level, and put into judicious use to benefit all.

He also called for transparency and accountability at the local level, stressing that, assembly-members must not be shoved off from sensitive information in the Assembly but rather must be privy to all statutory inflows and other sources of revenue to enable them make informed decisions and necessary follow-ups on the utilization of these inflows.

He expressed grief over the situation and as a result charged newly appointed MMDCEs to start correcting these wrongs in order to ensure transparency and accountability at the Assembly level.

"It is not for nothing that when common fund is sent, the presiding member of every assembly is copied. It is for you to know the figures and follow up on the utilization of the said amount. But that is not happening and the time to correct that is now", the Minister opined.

The Minister charged NALAG to reciprocate the President’s promise to pay monthly allowances to Assembly Members by working tirelessly to improve revenue generation at their respective assemblies.

“His Excellency the President has also promised that he is going to motivate you but that motivation must be completed by your efforts to make sure that it will be increased”, he stated.

Describing the District Assembly as a forum for training future leaders, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim charged NALAG members to operationalize their institutional memory for the perfection of local governance as well as strengthen Ghana’s decentralization process.

Meanwhile, at the event, the Association also seized the opportunity to swear in seven sub-committees to serve as the advisory body or policy framework to the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The Sub-committees are; Finance and Administration, Policy and Resolutions, Economic Development, Environment, Sanitation, and Tourism, Gender and Development, International Relations and Public Relations.