To broaden the knowledge and the role of the local government activities in Ghana, aspiring assembly members have benefited from a capacity-building workshop in Lower Manya Krobo of the Eastern region.
The capacity-building workshop which aimed to educate and explain the local government functions and concepts to the aspiring assembly members was fully sponsored and organized by the former Presiding Member (PM) of the Assembly.
The capacity building is expected to help aspiring assembly members with the day-to-day governance of their electoral areas and to familiarize themselves with the Local Governance Act and the Standing Orders.
Addressing the media after the training Mr. David Walter Hormenu who is also a former Lower Manya Krobo Constituency Chairman for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) hinted that there is a need to make the local government functions significantly understandable.
He expressed grave concern over what he described as excellent concepts of the local government but was reduced to partisan activities with dare negative consequences on the ordinary people.
This, the former PM for the Lower Manya Krobo Assembly said, motivated him to take the aspiring members through some basics of the local government act for them to realize their duties as assembly members and to lobby for development in their area.
Mr. David Hormenu said that the workshop for the aspirants has two phases which include pre-election and post-election adding that the local government system is making the work of the assembly members difficult.
Mr. David Hormenu indicated that being independent as an assembly member at the local level will help combat corruption and improve service delivery and therefore called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to intensify its role in educating the public on the role of local government activities.
He continued that the government should stay away from making district assemblies elections partisan adding that assembly members are performing abysmally because of the partisan stand since they cannot hold the various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) accountable particularly when the party is in power.
The former Lower Manya NDC chairman called on the government, non-governmental organizations, and other relevant bodies to join hands with the initiative to extend the education of aspirants to other regions.
On his part, Hon. Godwin Oblanda Domete Totroko, Odumase South electoral area, seeking re-election thanked Chairman David Walter Homenyo for organizing the training workshop which he described as the first of its kind.
According to him, the resource person has demonstrated significant experience as a former Assemblyman and by extension former Presiding Member which would go a long way to adequately prepare the Assembly members, particularly the first-timers.
“As for me, I’ve attended some before but the kind of things he thought this time around has built up my mind. And I think if we have such people, we have to hold them well so that they can teach us a lot”, he stressed.
He continued that “the kind of things he teaches all show that, as an Assemblyman your work out there in your area is to do things that will help the citizens. With this, it won’t be like you have gone for the position but seated for people to be hailing you with the name Honorable for you to respond but not working, but the work is what is needed”.
The Odumase South Assemblyman hinted that the former PM for the Lower Manya Krobo Assembly made it known to them that if you are aspiring for the position of an Assemblyman the work is what is needed because you are going to represent your people, you are going to be the mouthpiece for your people so when you go to the assembly don’t go and sit there quiet.
“You must speak on the problems of your people living in your area to the assembly, make wild noise about it so that they will know how serious you are and how serious the citizen problems must be solved”, Hon. Godwin Oblanda Domete Totroko said.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Solomon Nartey
