Local government service recruits 2600 new staff

Government through the Local Government Service has recruited 2600 new staff to be posted to man various offices at the 261 district assemblies across the country.

This new recruitment was authorized by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in 2012, to augment the staff strength of the district assemblies to deliver effective services to the people.

It followed a 2011 audit of the staff strength of the district assemblies by the LGS which revealed a shortfall in staff strength resulting in serious challenges in terms of effective delivery of government services to the people.

Dr Callistus Mahama, Deputy Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, announced this in Tamale on Monday during the opening of a two-day orientation programme for 220 of the newly recruited staff who were posted to the Northern Region.

Topics being treated at the orientation include the Local Government System, LGS Protocols, Internal Controls at the District Assembly, Local Government Financing Arrangements amongst others.

Dr Mahama told the new recruits not to make money-making their primary motive in public service since that would encourage them to engage in corrupt practices.

He said government was strengthening the decentralization system by allocating a lot of resources into the local assemblies to deliver effective services to the people and urged the recruits to work hard to ensure effective utilization of resources.

He said measures had been put in place to track the performance of the recruits.