Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly Inaugurated

Accra, Feb. 29, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufour on Friday advised district Assemblies and District Security committees to make conflict prevention their priority in order to promote peace in various districts.

"The emphasis should be on conflict prevention and this should feature prominently on your agenda. For, it is only in genuine peace and tranquility that the district assemblies can achieve socio-economic development".

This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Kofi Poku Adusei, Deputy Minister of Fisheries at the inauguration of the newly created Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly. He advised the leadership of the assembly to live in peace with members of parliament and the traditional authorities since their common goal was to see to the development and well-being of the people. Mr Kufuor noted that the exercise of participatory democracy was not only critical for good governance and equitable development but it was imperative for conflict prevention, effective communication and social cohesion.

"Coherent local administration requires team work, co-operation and the capacity for change management. District Assemblies need to work consciously to accommodate the actors in service provision in such sectors as education, health, water and sanitation, environmental management", he said.

President Kufuor said the implementation of the functional organizational assessment tool required more proactive efforts by district administrations to ensure their performance in such areas as management and organization, transparency, planning, human resource management relationship with sub-structures, project management and implementation. He said the operationalisation of the new local government service required assemblies to provide the requisite physical structures, material resources and the adoption of new values and attitudes to work.

He advised the leadership of the newly crated district assemblies not to lose sight of the purpose for which the district was created and live up to expectation. Mr. Stanly Nii Adjiri-Blankson, Chief Executive Officer of Accra Metropolitan Assembly in his welcoming address said the new municipality was facing problems such as traffic congestion, pressure on infrastructural facilities, poor sanitation, inadequate housing and lack of financial resources and attributed it to indiscipline. He advised officials of the Assembly to enforce basic planning and building regulations strictly in order to prevent the springing up of unapproved structures which are often used for anti- social activities.

Mr. Justice Acquah Ayirebi swore in 12 members of the newly created municipality and were advised to resist temptation that might lure them into acts that were not inconsonance with assembly's regulations.