Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Tuesday stated that said after 27 years of the decentralized system the district assembly concept and the decision to decentralize has been justified.
He made the statement when he inaugurated the newly elected Assembly members of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA), and tasked them to render dedicated and selfless services for the development of the area.
Mr Amisah Arthur said the decentralization concept was an integral part of the country’s democracy through which development was extended to the people at the grassroots stressing that “Government will continue to play a lead role in the supply of logistics and office accommodation.
He said he has been that told that a number of members have been reelected and whilst others have been reappointed, this he said that means that there’s accumulated experience in the assembly which can be of immense benefit of fresh members of the assembly.
Calling on them to see their elections as assembly members as something that shows that the people have a lot of confidence in them So they should see their reelection as great responsibility as they save them and should make them an integral part of the decision making and of governance.
On the issue of revenue generation, He called on to consider using revenue for development and the need for the assemblies to increase revenue generation to get the needed funds for development not for only for recurrent expenditures .
The Vice President called on the assemblies to take sanitation serious. Adding that and that very soon in consultation with the Chief Justice they would soon put up sanitation courts in the country to prosecute sanitation offenders, so the need for the assemblies to take good sanitary practices very seriously.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur asked the assemblies to find innovative means of creating employment opportunities for the teeming youths saying: “promoting the agricultural sector will create job opportunities for many people”.
On his part Mr. Shahu Kadir, Coordinating Director for the TAMA said the assembly has over the years undertaken unprecedented development activities in areas of roads, schools and health facilities and appealed to members to assist in promoting the development of the area. The TAMA consisted of 18 appointed and 40 elected.
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