Speaking to Adom News, Togbe Dzaga VI expressed concern over a growing disconnect between elected local representatives and traditional leaders, saying the lack of cooperation is slowing progress in Awudome Avenui and surrounding communities.

“Traditional leaders are responsible for safeguarding the welfare of their people. If you choose not to work with us, we will ensure that the same people who voted you into office vote you out. We will smoke you out politically,” he cautioned.

The chief emphasized that traditional authorities are essential partners in local governance, particularly in land administration, dispute resolution, community mobilization, and planning. He called on Assembly Members to engage chiefs regularly, share updates, and seek guidance on issues affecting residents.

Echoing the chief’s concerns, Ho West District Chief Executive, Mr. Francis Profer Dusey, urged unity, transparency, and mutual respect between elected officials and the traditional council, noting that collaboration has historically been vital for community development.

Togbe Dzaga VI reaffirmed the council’s commitment to supporting genuine development initiatives but warned that leaders neglecting their communities would not be tolerated. His comments have sparked discussions across the district, with many residents agreeing that stronger cooperation between local authorities and traditional leaders is crucial for sustainable development.

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Addressing the assembly members of Okaikwei Central, Linda Ocloo emphasized the importance of confirming the President’s nominees, noting that such approvals are critical for driving development and addressing challenges in their respective constituencies.

“No Member of Parliament is seeking personal interest in these confirmations; we only need them to sign our documents,” she stated.

Linda Ocloo underscored the significant role assembly members play in the development process, explaining that confirming the nominees would allow the MMDCEs to sign essential documents and execute their mandates.

“We, as MPs, do not need anything from the assembly. What we need is cooperation to ensure development reaches our people. Please do not disappoint the President, myself, and your Members of Parliament,” she urged.

She further encouraged the assembly members to follow the example of their counterparts who had already confirmed the President’s nominees, adding that collective support would accelerate progress across the Greater Accra Region.

The Minister’s call comes as the region continues efforts to secure unanimous endorsements for all presidential nominees to enhance local governance and grassroots development.

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She warned that rejecting or delaying the confirmation of the nominees would hinder development in their respective jurisdictions.

“Failure to confirm the President’s nominees will only delay the development your communities deserve,” Madam Ocloo stated. “You cannot afford to lag behind while other districts are moving forward.”

The minister made these remarks when she addressed assembly members at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly during the confirmation of President John Dramani Mahama’s nominee for Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Alfred Kpapko Allotey.

At the conclusion of the voting process, Mr. Allotey received unanimous approval, with all 30 assembly members voting in favor of his confirmation.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the immediate past Mayor of Accra.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Allotey thanked the assembly members for their endorsement and pledged to align his leadership with President Mahama’s “Reset Ghana” agenda.

“The work begins now. The reset begins now,” he declared. “I am committed to helping reset Accra, just as the President has pledged to reset Ghana.”

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, commended the assembly members for their unity and support of the President’s vision.

“I want to sincerely thank you for the confidence you’ve shown in the President’s nominee,” she said. “Your vote today reflects your commitment to the development and transformation of Accra.”

“We will continue to work with the assembly members to ensure that the remaining confirmations are completed to pave the way for development,” Madam Ocloo added.

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In a press statement signed by Mawunyo Agbe, President of CODAM and Dean of Presiding Members in the Volta Region, the coalition expressed deep concern over a growing trend in which certain MMDCEs are allegedly bypassing established procedures to reconstitute Sub-Committees.

The coalition reminded all stakeholders that such actions contravene the Model Standing Orders and provisions under Section 23(4) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).

According to CODAM, Sub-Committees formed under the 9th Assembly remain valid and lawfully constituted, with a two-year tenure that must be upheld.

While acknowledging the necessity of integrating newly appointed government appointees into Assembly operations, the coalition emphasised that such inclusion must occur by law, specifically during the first meeting of the third session, as stipulated in Order 44 of the Standing Orders.

CODAM warned that it would oppose any attempt to undermine the General Assembly’s authority. It urged MMDCEs to act within the legal framework to protect the integrity and continuity of local governance.

“We call for calm among our colleagues and encourage continuous engagement with leadership to ensure that the sanctity of our Assemblies is protected,” the statement concluded.

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To facilitate the payments, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced an allocation of GH¢100 million while presenting the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Tuesday, March 11.

However, he did not specify the amount each assembly member will receive or when the payments will commence.

Additionally, Dr. Ato Forson announced an allocation of GH¢7.51 billion to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) and proposed direct payment of the funds to district assemblies to drive development.

“In accordance with our decentralization policy objective, we propose to Parliament that a minimum of 80% of the funds should be sent directly to the district assemblies to spur economic growth at the district level and deepen decentralization.

“Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that this is in stark contrast to what has happened to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in recent years, where less than 50% of the released amount to DACF goes to the district assemblies, with a significant portion spent at the center,” he stated.

Ahead of the 2024 election, Mahama acknowledged the vital role of local governance and emphasized the need for financial support to enable assembly members to effectively carry out their duties.

He also pledged to increase the District Assembly Common Fund disbursement from 5% to 7%.

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The items, donated by the Ghana Enterprises Agency and Mastercard Foundation, included sewing machines and hairdryers designated for youth apprenticeship training.

At a press conference in Swedru, spokesperson Jallal Adam accused the MCE of diverting the equipment to Chris Arthur, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Agona West. The members described this as a violation of local government regulations, emphasizing that the items were intended for fair and transparent distribution.

According to Mr. Adam, the alleged diversion was an attempt by the MCE to gain favor from constituents after a period of neglect and unfulfilled promises. He also alleged that DRIP machines, recently inaugurated in the district, were exclusively given to the NPP candidate, without consulting Assembly Members or setting up a timetable to deploy the machines for road repairs across electoral areas.

Additionally, Mr. Adam claimed that street bulbs, funded by the Assembly, were handed over to the NPP candidate to be installed in the ruling party’s strongholds. He criticized this as “unacceptable,” arguing that public resources should benefit all citizens, not just one political party.

In response, the spokesperson called for the MCE to publish an itinerary for the DRIP machines to ensure equitable distribution of development initiatives. He also urged transparency in distributing the sewing machines and dryers provided by the Ghana Enterprises Agency and Mastercard Foundation, to help reduce political tensions.

Mr. Adam cautioned that failure to address these concerns would likely lead to further discontent among the Assembly members.

When contacted, Mr. Coleman denied all allegations regarding the diversion of sewing machines, dryers, DRIP machines, and streetlights.

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He highlighted their significant contributions to national development.

Dr. Kokofu made these remarks at the Conference of Presiding Members to elect their Dean and other executives at the Royal Lameta Hotel in Kumasi, Ashanti region.

He assured them that the NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has positive plans for all Presiding and Assembly members.

Dr. Kokofu said the Vice President will soon engage them to share his vision for the local governance system.

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Speaking on behalf of President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the inauguration of the Ga West Municipal Assembly and Ga North Municipal Assembly for the 2024-2027 district administration calendar year in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Kumah emphasized the significance of prioritizing the welfare of constituents.

He called upon Assembly Members and Unit Committee Members to align themselves with the vision of creating a Ghana that mirrors the aspirations of its citizens.

Dr. Kumah urged them to take a proactive approach to local governance and highlighted the importance of grassroots leadership in effecting positive change within communities.

“Your responsibilities include mobilizing resources, making crucial decisions, and establishing by-laws to facilitate the transformation of your respective electoral areas,” he stressed.

In the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti region, some aspiring assembly members are hiring vehicles to transport potential voters from the hinterlands to the district registration centre at Bekwai.

Two of such aspiring Assembly members say the move is to boost their support base and also assist eligible voters to get registered.

The Electoral Commission is unable to meet the daily target of three hundred. About 80 applicants were registered on the first day.

Less than 300 applicants were successful in the second and third days of the exercise.

But the number of applicants continues to rise, as efforts by interest groups are yielding positive results.

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Reports were rife that the assembly members were made to kneel and apologise for voting against the President’s Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) nominee, Alex Sarfo Kantanka.

However, a statement, signed by the Council’s Registrar, Kwaku Ankomah Asare, has described the information as “vicious lies and propaganda”.

Urging the public to disregard the report, it added the Omanhene had no mechanism to know how members voted.

The statement explained the chief convened a meeting following appeals by some presiding members to help resolve issues between the MCE nominee and the assembly members which came off on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.

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The meeting, which lasted about three hours, according to the statement, offered the assembly members the opportunity to express whatever misgivings they had towards the nominee.

“When the issues were put before the nominee, he apologised to the members for any shortcomings on his part. His apology was duly accepted by the members. Nana thereafter reconciled the two parties,” the statement read in part.

Read the full statement below:

They are Sadique Aidoo, P. K. Ocran, Kingsley Enniful, Felix Mensah, William Appiah, Hakim Korankye, Jonathan Birinkorang, Owusu Andoh Aaron, J.Osei Owusu, Robert Tetteh and Akwasi Korankye.

The rest are George Gyimah, Frank Owusu, Ransford Adu, Robert Amissah and their accomplices Abbam, Yaw Antwi and Kojo Mensah.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges of offensive conduct, contrary to section 207 of Act 29/60 and provoking the breach of the peace in the Assin South Area.

Chief of Assin Nsuaem, Nana Kwabena Wadie III, had during proceedings, pleaded with the Court presided over by Mr Samuel Etsie Jnr, for an out-of-court settlement which was granted and the case was adjourned to Friday, November 5, 2021.

Police officer prosecuting, Inspector Abdullai Moro said the accused persons, on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at about 12:00hrs, at the forecourt of the Assin South District Assembly Office, slaughtered a ram, poured bottles of Schnapps and broke eggs to invoke curses on the officials, including the Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan.

The others are Reverend Ntim Fordjor the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Deputy Commander of Police (DCOP) Dennis Abade, Deputy Central Regional Police Commander, Ms. Felicia Amissah, District Chief Executive of Assin South, ACP Augustine Lugugare, Divisional Police Commander, Assin South and DSP Francis Andam Okyere, Assin South Police Commander.

According to the Prosecutor, among the curses were that “the gods will deal with you and your children will be used to pacify the gods”.

It may be recalled that 15 aggrieved Assembly Members were denied their constitutional rights of taking part to confirm the District Chief Executive for the District, after they missed the date for the confirmation.

When they heard that the event was taking place without them, they besieged the forecourt of the Assin South District Assembly with bottles of schnapps, eggs, and slaughtered a ram and rained curses on the officials.

According to him, the assembly members must find ways to ensure Mr Pyne shows commitment to deal with the debt instead of their current position.

“I don’t see how they are going to hold up Kumasi from getting a proper executive because of the past. I don’t think that is fair. That is not the way to go about it,” he stated on Kumasi-based Pure FM.

In four years, the KMA is said to owe its contractors and business allies over GH¢50 million, a situation that has forced the Assembly to rely on common funds for payment within the last two years.

The Presiding Member of the Assembly, Stephen Ofori, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, said the Assembly’s indebtedness has significantly contributed to the underdevelopment of Kumasi.

In view of this, he threatened they will reject Mr Pyne if the government fails to clear the debt which is swallowing the Assembly.

The President stressed the assembly members should rather focus on Mr Pyne’s ability to deliver on his mandate and afterward find possible ways to handle the debt.

“That will be the proper way to go. If they feel he is worthy of confirmation, let him make it clear to them that his number one item on the agenda will be how to arrange with the government to repay the debt,” he urged.

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Meanwhile, he added the Local Government Minister has commenced a probe into the circumstance that led to the debt.

“He will prepare a brief for me in the course of time… if KMA is in debt, we have to find out how KMA couldn’t pay,” he hinted.

Residents at the Block Factory, SCC, Broadcasting all the way to parts of the Weija Old Barrier and its environs have been victims of perennial flooding as a result of drainage systems in the area with several displaced and properties destroyed annually.

Speaking on the Beyi W’ano segment of Adom 106.3 FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Monday, Assemblyman for Akwasa, Yaw Atamfuri, said all attempts to get the attention of relevant authorities over the years have proven futile.

Until last year when a contract was awarded for waterways to be created, Mr Atamfuri explained there have been times the assembly had to mobilise its own resources to desilt gutters coupled with occasional support from the urban roads.

He said the contractor was now mobilising resources and was yet to commence work but another big hurdle is a Ghana Water Company pipeline close to the gutter line which needs to be relocated.

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Despite notices served the company, Mr Atamfuri said they were yet to take any action regarding the relocation of the pipeline to pave way for work to begin.

Assemblywoman for Weija East, Grace Ntiamoah, who also spoke on the show, complained of similar issues affecting her people.

The duo has therefore appealed to the government to treat the matter as urgent to bring a lasting solution.      

Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency has predicted that more floods will hit Ghana’s major cities of Accra and Kumasi during this year’s rainy season.       

The bye-laws will reintroduce regular inspections by environmental health officers who will issue court summons to offenders. 

The Minister had earlier hinted of a decentralised approach in enforcing sanitation regulations as part of the ‘Make Accra Work’ agenda. 

Addressing a meeting with Assembly Members in Accra, Mr Quartey said enforcement of sanitation bye-laws at the local level will positively impact the government’s goal of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

“I need you and you need me. We have an agenda and it is to make Accra work again. And how best to get Accra working than you at the local level enforcing our bye-laws,” he told them at a meeting.

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He further asked, “can we give ourselves a week to do this? In seven days, let’s convene a General Assembly meeting and pass the operation clean your frontage bye-laws.”

Under the bye-laws, occupants/owners of all households or buildings will be responsible for the cleaning of the frontage of their buildings. 

“When we find offenders, we will take them to court the ‘saman saman’ way”, the Minister said.

The Assembly Members also pledged to offer their utmost support in order to make the agenda successful.

About Operation Clean Your Frontage

The Regional Minister aims at involving inhabitants of the region to embrace fully and participate in the Make Accra Great Again agenda. 

Residents in the Greater Accra Region will soon be required to clean their own frontage and surroundings under new by-laws to be passed by assemblies within the region.

The Minister announced the plan at a programme to outdoor 100 high capacity trucks to deal with the unsanitary conditions in the capital. 

Mr Mahama said as the first point of contact for the resolution of many issues in electoral areas, Assembly Members require support from government to enable them effectively discharge their enormous responsibilities.

Addressing a meeting with the Ghana Association of Assembly Members in his office in Accra, the former President observed that not only do assembly members attend to the day-to-day needs of the people but they also serve as community development agents.

He has, therefore, pledged to design training programmes to improve the capacity of assembly members as well as pay them monthly allowances to encourage them to do more for their communities.

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A meeting by the newly-created Berekum West District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region to decide the fate of President Akufo-Addo’s nominee as District Chief Executive ended inconclusively last Friday.

This is because the nominee, Martin Obeng-Adjei, did not get the required two-thirds majority to become the District Chief Executive (DCE).

The nominee obtained 12 votes which fell short of the 18 needed in the 27-member Assembly.

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Matters arising out of the outcome of the election has generated heat in the area as there are reports that associates of the nominee are bent on retrieving the GH¢2000 paid to each assembly member to influence them to confirm Mr Obeng-Adjei’s nomination.

Mr Martin Obeng Adjei has confirmed that he paid an amount of GH 2,000.00 each to the 27 Assembly members to vote as DCE for Berekum West, but they voted against him.

“I gave 27 assembly members GHC 2,000 thinking they will vote for me and give me 100 percent full endorsement. I was overconfident but little did I know that they actually deceived me so I have asked all of them to refund the money I gave them because they took me for granted. I am very disappointed in them”, he alleged.

Mr Obeng Adjei said some of the Assembly members have since assured him of paying back the money since they voted against him.

According to him, the assemblymen would be selected at random with respect to their qualities but not faces or by partisan favors.

He made the assertion at the confirmation ceremony of the Assin North MCE, Nicholas Fiifi Baako in Assin Fosu in the Central Region.

He added that the aim of the exercise is to expose them to foreign policies with the aim to make meaningful contributions to develop the country.

Furthermore, the Assin Central legislator called on the newly MCE to put a smile on the faces of the Assembly members by way of giving them contracts.

This he noted will help them to be financially sound to help their various electoral areas.

“I’m going to select not by faces or party but by your qualities. You will be traveling Outside Ghana for you to experience how other people have developed their country…”

“It’s very important. So that when we come back to take a decision the exposure will help make meaningful contribution…”

“Many at times, with all due respect, a lot of you don’t have the opportunity to travel so when you come up a vision. Many of our assemblymen don’t share the same vision. This exercise would help a lot…” he said.

Listen to Kennedy Agyapong

The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council has released a timetable for the confirmation sessions which are expected to run in the region’s 3 municipalities and 10 districts from Monday 8th May to Wednesday 17th May, this year.

At least two of the districts- Builsa North and Bawku West- have been marked ahead of the polls as combat zones for the respective nominees.

This is due to the violent resistance that greeted the announcement of their designations about two weeks ago by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“Our eyes are on the government appointees. Some of them have issues with the nominees. If the nominees are not confirmed, it would come from the appointees, not from the NDC (National Democratic Congress) assembly members.
And if they (the appointees) disappoint, we are dismissing them to bring in a new set of appointees. We intend to have a meeting with the Regional Minister early on Monday on this before we set off on the confirmation.

“Except Sandema (capital of the Builsa North) and Zebilla (the Bawku West district capital), we really don’t foresee any problem with the confirmation of the nominees. But that is not to say surprises are not possible in the other districts,” a source, who is one of the decision makers in the party, told Starr News.

The recent unrests

It would be recalled that some NPP supporters stormed the offices of the Bawku West District Assembly and vandalised state property following speculations that the President had chosen Victoria Ayamba- a candidate they did not like- as DCE for the area.

It took soldiers, deployed from two military bases at Bawku and Bazua, to crush the upheaval that also saw the angry party men set tyres on fire on the main road in the district capital amid brutal attacks on the party’s office and the private residence of the Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Frank Fuseini Adongo, who is also the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister.

A similar incident came up in the Builsa North District where a group of party supporters opposed to the nomination of David Afoko, cousin to the suspended NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko, waged an open demonstration in red bands and vandalised furniture at the party’s office.

After his unsuccessful bid for the position of the Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, the NPP’s 2016 parliamentary candidate for Bolgatanga Central, Rex Asanga, issued a press statement that suggested it took his timely intervention to stop another rampage in the regional capital by disappointed party loyalists.

CSOs unhappy about appointments

The current batch of nominees consists of 11 men and 2 women- same as the structure the erstwhile Mahama Administration gave the region in 2013.
Some civil society organisations are not pleased with the blend, saying the current administration ought to have increased the quota of women in the gender blend.

“For us, we were hoping that this current government would have done better than the previous government in terms of appointment of women. The previous government promised 40% of its appointees would be women. Unfortunately, at the end of the day it didn’t go that way. We had 2 women as MDCEs in the past administration in the Upper East Region.

“The current government promised 30%. We were all hoping that they would get the number. And when it came to the appointment of the Regional Minister and the Deputy Minister, we were thinking that one of them would be a woman. But unfortunately, both were men. Unfortunately too, there are only 2 women among the MDCEs. They have not been confirmed yet. So, we also can’t tell if in the end we would have the women among the eventual MDCEs.

We only appeal to the assembly members in both districts (Nabdam and Bawku West) to support them to go through the confirmation process so we still have the two women as DCEs,” Executive Director of the Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), Seidu Musah Akugri, said.

The nominees are Agnes Anamoo (Nabdam), Victoria Ayamba (Bawku West), Ayinga Bagre Yakubu (Binduri), Moctar Amadu Bagaya (Bawku), Joseph Atura Ameyure (Bolgatanga), Peter Ayamga Ayimbisa (Bongo) and David Afoko (Builsa North).

The rest are Daniel Kwame Gariba (Builsa South), Emmanuel Avoka Asare (Garu-Tempane), Williams Aduum (Kassena-Nankana Municipality), Clement Kuyianyim Dandori (Kassena-Nankana West), Abdulai Zubeiru (Pusiga) and Christopher Boabil Somiteyen (Talensi).