The Savelugu Municipal Coordinating Director, (MCD) Mr. Issahaka B. Basintale, has refuted allegations of disrespecting provisions in the Local Government Act by some members of the assembly.
Mr Basintale, who is touted one of the most effective coordinating directors in the country, told Might FM that the allegations leveled against him by all the 45 elected members are false and went further to show documents to substantiate his submission.
The Coordinating Director was reacting to a petition by the elected members of the Savelugu Municipal Assembly, calling for his removal within two weeks.
In their petition, the aggrieved members claimed ever since Mr Basintale took over as MCD, the assembly has never met at least three times in a year as stipulated in the Local Government Act 462 section 18(1) that "the district assembly shall meet at least three times in a year".
But Mr Basintale showed minutes of meetings held by the assembly since he took over as coordinating director, negating the impression created by the members that he (Basintale) is impeding progress of the assembly
The disgruntled members also claimed that Mr Basintale illegally convened a Finance and Administration sub-committee meeting on February 9, 2016, which was attended by only four members of the assembly. It came to light that the said meeting was attended by 6 members and not four as claimed by the petitioners.
Again per records available at the assembly, the house had unanimously agreed that the Municipal Coordinating Director should proceed to convene sub-committee meetings pending the election of a Presiding member and other officers of the assembly.
Mr Basintale further explained that per the rules of the assembly, there are instances that a member could preside over some meetings in the capacity of "member presiding", so even without an elected Presiding Member, work must go on.
The Municipal Coordinating Director also debunked accusation that ever since he assumed office, the Disability Fund which is 2% of the Municipal Assembly Common Fund, has never been disbursed to the beneficiaries.
He provided records which indicated disbursements to people with disabilities in the municipality, payments of allowance to staff of the disability Resource Centre and school fees for some of the members of the society for the disabled.
Asked what might be the motive behind the action of the assembly members, Mr Basintale noted that when he took over as coordinating director, he has put in place many administrative measures which have not gone done well with some members of the assembly.
He added that he had to streamline the disbursement of the disability fund which has infuriated people who were making undue gains from the fund.
Mr Basintale pointed out that when he took over, the previous assembly wanted him to pay their ex gratia from the Common Fund but per a directive from the Local Government minister, every assembly is to pay ex gratia for assembly members from the assembly's Internally Generated Fund (IGF)
"I can not go contrary to the directive of the local government ministry by paying ex gratia for assembly members from our common fund and that is the crime I have committed", he told Might FM.
Mr Basintale is noted for reviving weak assemblies and maintaining stability in troubled assemblies. He had done so remarkably in Gushegu, Bole, Bunkurugu and recently Chireponi assemblies respectively. He has twenty two years experience in the civil service and always comes up for consideration any time the need arises for an astute coordinating director a peculiar assembly.
Mr Basintale said he has a mandate to execute as the coordinating director of a growing assembly and he would not allow petty wranglings blind his judgments.
