The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), has elected as its President Mr. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) at the end of its 19th biennial national delegates conference held in Sunyani.
He polled 624 votes out the 980 total valid votes cast to beat his sole contestant, Mr. James Gunu, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akatsi North who had 356.
The peaceful election was supervised by a team of electoral officials from the Brong-Ahafo Regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) led by Mr. Samuel Boadu, a Deputy Regional Director.
Mr. Odamtten who would be 44 years on May 13 this year succeeded Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku, the Municipal Chief Executive for Asunafo after completing his two-year term as the 20th President of NALAG since its formation more than 30 years ago.
Held under the theme “Localizing the Post-2015 Agenda: The Role of MMDAs in the Effective Delivery of the SDGs in Ghana”, the three-day conference, was attended by 1,080 delegates, this participants comprised five members from each of the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country.
Other members elected to various positions to serve on the National Executive Council for the next two years were Dr. Stan Kadingdi, the MCE for Kasina-Nankana in the Upper East Region, first Vice-President and Ms. Louisa Amanor, an Assembly Member (AM) at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, the second Vice-President.
Mr. Wisdom Kwasi Zor, the Presiding Member (PM) for the Pru District Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region and Mr. Samuel Richard Ziggah of the Agona East District Assembly in the Central Region, were elected first and second trustees respectively.
Ms. Rita Odoley Sowah, the MCE for La Dade-Kotopon in the Greater Accra Region and Ms. Rita Akosua Awatey, an AM at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region were also elected unopposed as the treasurer and women’s caucus representative respectively.
Mr. Kwasi Asuming, a Kumasi-based senior lawyer and the PM for the Bosomtwe District Assembly in the Ashanti Region led Mr. Odamtten and his two deputies to take the NALAG Presidential oath of office, after which Alhaji Doku handed over a gold chain, as the symbol of office to the newly-elected President.
Mr. Asuming again led the entire newly-elected executives to swear the two oaths of membership of the Executive Council and the oath of secrecy.
To the admiration of the entire gathering at the conference hall, Mr. Gunu, who lost the bid, in a rare show of unity and maturity, mounted the dais to shake hands with Mr. Odamtten to congratulate him on his victory and appealed to NALAG members to unite in support of the Executive Council for a successful tenure of office.
In a victory speech, Mr. Odamtten commended the old Executive Council for their hard work and achievements, saying that had provided a solid foundation for them to deliver to expectation.
He entreated AMs to renew their commitments towards the cause of the Association and work in unity at their respective Assemblies for the provision of even better and quality services to the people.
