La-Nkwantanang/Madina Municipal Assembly inaugurated

Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, Member of Council State on Thursday noted that Government has accepted most of the recommendation of the Constitutional Review Commission which relates to the local government and decentralisation sector.

Alhaji Iddrisu made this known in speech delivered on behalf of President John Evans Atta Mills at the inauguration of the new La-Nkwantanag/Madina Municipal Assembly at Madina in Accra.

He said a Legislative Review Task Force was set up to consolidate the District Assemblies Common Fund Act, the Local Government Service Act, the National Development Planning (System) Act, the Local Government Service Act and the Internal Audit Agency Act into one Local Government Bill and Committee of the Assembly. Regional Coordinating Councils are to have defined functions and are to have identified source of revenue.

Alhaji Iddrisu said the proposed provision which asked for Health and Education is to be restored to the decentralisation schedule as a devolved sector at the district level and also districts should be created by the Electoral Commission with prior approval of Parliament in future.

It is also proposed that the Executive Committee of the District is to be constituted by the District Chief Executive (DCE) and Chairperson of the statutory Sub-Committees of the Executive.

He said a lot has been achieved in the local government and decentralisation sector and yet a lot more remains to be done adding “the unfinished business required that there should be continuity of policies, programmes and projects, that would guide us as we move into the era of the Six Government of the Fourth Republic.

Mr. John Kwao Sackey, Municipal Chief Executive for Ga East, said the creation of the La-Nkwantanang/Madina Municipality was a dream come true and that it was the responsibility of the Ga East Municipal to ensure that the Municipality survives.

He said the Ga East Municipal has made available two brand new pick-ups and every information and files that relates to the area of the new Assembly saying “Ga East will continue to foot the bill for the completion of the three story 18 unit classroom block at the Madina Cluster of schools from the Assembly's internal generated funds.”

Mr. Sackey said the Ga East has embarked on a number of projects and programs within Madina and its environs which includes the just completed 3 storey 18 units classroom block at Nkwantanang Fire Armor and WASS Experimental school, Babayara primary and Junior High School and the re-roofing of the three unit classroom, and extension of the roof of the six classroom block at Kweiman and the fencing of the Nkwantanang school which were all at the completion stage.

He said the construction of the outpatient department of the Madina Kekele Polyclinic phase one was completed and the school feeding programme was expanded to include schools in the rural areas.

Mr. Sackey said through Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the share of the district assembly common fund for the La-Nkwantanang/Madina Municipal has been released to facilitate the continuation of projects and programmes of the Assembly.

He congratulated President Atta Mills, Mr. Samuel Ampofo and Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogho, Member of Parliament for area, for granting the people of Madina their heart desire and advised them to judiciously use both human and material resources of the Assembly to improve the lives of the people of the area and also assured them of the Ga East Municipal continues support.**