District Level Elections to be held in August

Wassa Akropong(W/R), Feb.15, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) would conduct the next Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies elections in August, this year, Miss Doris Oduro, Wassa Amenfi East District Chief Executive announced on Tuesday. She said the EC would inaugurate its district offices on Friday, February 24.

Miss Oduro was addressing the third ordinary session of the Wassa Amenfi East District Assembly at Wassa Akropong. She advised people and incumbent assembly members for re-election to study the District Assembly Elections Act of 1994 and the 1992 Constitution.

The DCE said personnel of the Nsuaem, Oppon Valley and Japa area councils had been earmarked for training and pledged the assembly's commitment to strengthen area councils and unit committees for and effective and efficient governance at the local level.

Ms Oduro said personnel of other area councils would be trained, resourced and assisted to construct their own offices, to put the councils in better position to intensify revenue mobilisation. She announced that each area council had been given five million cedis to support its activities and urged executives of the councils to keep proper records for probity and accountability.

Miss Oduro said introduction of the Capitation Grant had increased enrolment in schools and about 60 per cent of 309,866,014 cedis allocated to the district had been disbursed. She urged the assembly members to ensure success of the free education programme by encouraging parents and guardians to send their children and wards to school.

Miss Oduro said the assembly would construct new schools and rehabilitate others from its share of the HIPC Fund. She said the water problem within the district and Wassa Akropong in particular would be solved soon.

Miss Oduro said the assembly was searching for a competent contractor to work on the mechanization of the overhead tank to store and distribute water to the people of Wasa Akropong on full time basis. Mr John Appiah-Amponsah, Presiding Member of the assembly expressed concern about the low revenue generation and collection within the district.

He therefore, called for the privatisation of the collection of rates, licence and fines on pilot basis for the next six months.