GJA touts performance of Sunyani Municipal Assembly

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional branch, has touted the performance of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly following the release of the 2018/2019 District League Table (DLT).

The Sunyani Municipal Assembly was ranked second; obtaining 98.5 in the DLT which is published annually by UNICEF in partnership with the Centre for Democratic Development is aimed at highlighting disparities in social development among districts.

“In fact looking at the sanitation situation in the region and all other indicators, the GJA believes that the SMA deserves better, and needs to be commended on that particular score.

“We therefore recognise and appreciate the immense contributions and tremendous role Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi Richardson, the former Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the current Bono Regional Minister played in keeping the city clean and improving the water situation in the Municipality, which pushed the SMA to the second on the table.

“For some time now the GJA has monitored and seen the drastic improvement and transformation going on in health and educational infrastructure development, and we praise the SMA for that effort alone,” part of a statement signed by the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Secretary, Mr Dennis Peprah read.

Kindly Read The Full Statement Below:

GJA applauds performance of Sunyani Municipal Assembly in 2018/2019 DLT

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional branch, wishes to congratulate the Sunyani Municipal Assembly (SMA) in the Bono Region for being ranked second in the 2018/2019 District League Table (DLT).

The SMA obtained 98.5 percent, to follow the Asante Akyem North Municipality in the Ashanti Region which ranked first on the DLT, scoring 100.

The DLT published annually by UNICEF in partnership with the Centre for Democratic Development is aimed at highlighting disparities in social development among districts.

This year’s edition ranked all 216 districts in relation to key indicators such as education, health, water, sanitation and child protection based on existing data on the then ten regions of Ghana.

“In fact looking at the sanitation situation in the region and all other indicators, the GJA believes that the SMA deserves better, and needs to be commended on that particular score”.

We therefore recognise and appreciate the immense contributions and tremendous role Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi Richardson, the former Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the current Bono Regional Minister played in keeping the city clean and improving the water situation in the Municipality, which pushed the SMA to the second on the table.

“For some time now the GJA has monitored and seen the drastic improvement and transformation going on in health and educational infrastructure development, and we praise the SMA for that effort alone”.

This, the Association believes is an indication that if women are given responsible position in society, they can perform better.

We are therefore congratulating Mrs Richardson for her elevation, and we want to assure her that we are strongly behind her administration to push the development of the region to the next level.

“Becoming second among 216 Districts in the country is not as easy task at all, and we believe that the Bono Regional Minister will use her experience and lobbying skills to attract or woo more international investors into the region for development”.

The Association wishes to commend President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for appointing another woman as the MCE and applauded the Assembly Members for endorsing her.

We are hopeful that Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the new MCE will continue to build on the solid foundation laid by her predecessor to facilitate the development of the region and the country by extension.

As a key, development partner in the region, the GJA pledges its unflinching support to the SMA and the Bono Regional Coordinating Council in pushing the development of the Municipality and the region in particular forward.

We believe that it is only through strategic allocation of resources that the SMA can actualize the needed development.

A worrying trend the GJA is unhappy is purported leakages in the SMA’s revenue mobilization, and we thus encourage the city authorities to strengthen its internal security controls to block all revenue leakages.

This will push the SMA to generate enough revenue locally to address the development needs of the people.

Dennis Peprah

Regional Secretary