Assembly members must be dev agents

Page 15, Nov 7, 2007

Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jaman South in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Apraku Tanoh, has admonished assembly members to see themselves as agents of development instead of meddling in chieftaincy disputes to stifle development.
He challenged the assembly members to liaise with chiefs in their areas to impress upon them the need to ensure peace, unity and tranquility, which were the necessary for development.
Mr Tanoh who was addressing the Third Ordinary Meeting of the assembly at Drobo observed that there could not be any meaningful development in the midst of chieftaincy disputes.
The DCE said that all efforts by the government would come to nothing if assembly members neglected their duties and meddled in chieftaincy matters.
Touching on the assembly’s internally generated resources, Mr Tanoh said that the assembly accrued GH ¢91,047, representing 80.45 per cent of the targeted revenue as of the end of September, this year.
He urged the assembly members to throw their weight behind the revenue collectors in their areas to enable them to exceed their daily targets.
“You should personally show interest in the collection of revenue”, he said, and explained that the assembly’s support to the various councils would depend on how much revenue was collected from such areas.
Mr Tanoh informed the assembly that two motorbikes had been purchased while six more had also been ordered at the total cost of GH ¢6,000 to assist the revenue collectors to reach the remotest part of the district.
On the Drobo-Sampa road, the DCE commended the government for fulfilling its promise to the people by awarding the road on contract.
He stated that the contractor, J. Adom Construction Limited, had already started the project at several points on the road, and expressed the hope that the project would be completed on schedule.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Gabriel Kofi Kyeremeh, urged his colleagues to be abreast with the assembly’s bye-laws in order to assist in their implementation.