Addressing the meeting on behalf of the president of the Republic of Ghana H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, the Savannah Regional Minister Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibril; expressed the president’s happiness to join the meeting through his able representatives, at the nationwide inauguration of District Assemblies, following the successful conduct of the District Level Elections in December last year.
H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo reminded Assembly Members of their mandate to deliberate, plan, mobilize resources, make decisions including by-laws to ensure the transformation of their Districts towards the Ghana we all want. The President recalled; “The decentralisation reforms that started in 1988 with only one hundred and ten (110) District Assemblies have made progress in several fronts as we inaugurate 259 District Assemblies out of a total of 261 (with the exclusion of Nkoranza South Municipal and Nkoranza North District Assemblies whose tenure is yet to end).
The President further stressed; “it is an honour and privilege to be elected or appointed to serve the residents of your localities. He therefore charged Assembly members to build good working relationships with their colleague Assembly Members, the Hon. District Chief Executive, Member (s) of Parliament, Staff of the District Assembly, and the people they represent. He further charged Assembly members to also establish strong partnerships and collaborate with the local structures particularly, the urban, town, zonal and area council, the unit committees and traditional authorities as well as other identifiable groups to facilitate the work of the District Assembly”. Continuing with his address, the President charged Hon. Members together with their DCE, to advance the implementation of the Government’s Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2022-2025): Agenda for Jobs II: Creating Prosperity and Equal Opportunity for All. H.E the President remarked to Hon. Members that; in 2020, their predecessors’ attention was drawn to a major challenge relating to unplanned and haphazard development within the jurisdiction of most District Assemblies. This phenomenon has serious implications for national development and public safety. Therefore, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development together with Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) held consultative meetings to apprise the citizenry on guidelines for planning and development permitting in Ghana. He tasked Hon. Members as they begin work, to help enforce planning standards and compliance of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), as well as other regulations governing human settlements and spatial planning.
Ending the address, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo reminded Hon. Members that their people require of them; selflessness, devotion to duty, a very accountable stewardship and above all, your ability to articulate the needs of the people to guide the district development agenda and ultimately, improve the quality of their livelihoods and wellbeing.
Justice Virginia Gloria Akpene Fugar swore in the various elected and appointed members of the Assembly. In total, Twelve (12) Assemblymen namely Hon. Abdul Gyani Nuhu K. for Zongo electoral area, Hon. Ananpasah B. Abraha for Canteen electoral area, Hon. Kumatey Gordon for Hangaline, Hon. Karim Inusah for Attributo electoral area, Hon. Yussif Ibrahim for Mole electoral area, Hon. Amidu Karim for Larabanga electoral area, Hon. Sumaila Hafiz for DASS electoral area, Hon. Kipo Yakubu for Achubunyo electoral area, Hon. Dari Thomas for Busunu electoral area, Hon. Seidu A. Fuseini for Sor electoral area, Hon. Gbiel Tuolanus Dennis for Yipala/Nabori electoral area, and Hon. Mumuni Mohammed for Apilso electoral area were elected to represent the twelve Electoral Areas of the West Gonja Municipality.
Membership of the various sub-committees of the assembly was also constituted. These includes the Social Services Sub Committee (chaired by Hon. Abdul Gyani Nuhu K. of Zongo Electoral Area), Justices and Security Sub Committee (chaired by Hon. Yussif Ibrahim of Mole Electoral Area), Development Planning Sub-Committee (chaired by Hon Sumaila Hafiz of DASS Electoral Area), Works Sub-Committee (chaired by Hon. Kipo Yakubu of Achubunyo Electoral Area), Finance and Administration Sub-Committee (chaired by Hon. Dari Osman Thomas), Agricultural Sub-Committee (chaired by Hon. Seidu A. Fusini of Sor Electoral Area), Micro and Small- Scale Enterprise Sub Committee (chaired by Hon. Ananpasah B. Abraham of Canteen Electoral Area), and Environmental Sub Committee (chaired by Hon. Iddrisu Laminu).
Gracing the inaugural meeting were the media, clergy, representatives of the traditional council, the security forces, etc.
Attached are images from the inaugural meeting of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly.
