Accra, Oct 13, GNA – Mr Joseph Korto, National Dean of Presiding Members has commended Assembly members across the country for smooth electioneering in respect of the nominees President Akufo-Addo presented for confirmation as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.
He said the members deserved commendation for the smoothness that characterized the confirmations at various Assemblies which would deepen local democratic governance.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday concerning the confirmations so far, Mr Korto said “Yes there were a few hiccups, which is to be expected of every election, however, Assemblies showed so much maturity with the general trend of confirmations across the country”.
Mr Korto, who is also the Greater Accra regional Dean of Presiding Members and also the Tema Metropolitan Assembly Presiding Member, particularly praised colleague regional Deans of Presiding Members, Presiding Members and all Assembly members for their organizational skills.
“As Regional Deans, you took a hands-on approach to ensuring that the acrimonious politics that has often characterized Assembly elections were eschewed as much as possible. Yes, there still were glimpses of it, but generally, this election has been an improvement over previous ones and serves as a new elevated platform from which we can advance the deodorization of our activities from the next round of elections.”
Prior to President Akufo-Addo presenting his nominees, the National Dean called on Assembly Members to let the confirmation elections be as civil and devoid of acrimonious politicking.
Mr Korto also encouraged them to approve nominees so long as the nominees were qualified, and that rejecting nominees mainly on political grounds was not healthy for the image of Assemblies since local governance was not supposed to be partisan politics.
He also pointed out that the nominations had already delayed asking the Assemblies not to be the cause of extra delay in getting new MMDCEs in place for the sake of the machinery of state.
According to him, “I am glad that you my colleagues across the country, by and large, listened to my appeal.”
In Greater Accra for instance, the National Dean, is said to have toured together with the Greater Accra regional Minister to encourage Assembly Members to approve the President’s nominees for the various Assemblies in the region for the sake of progress.
Mr Korto is confident that President Akufo-Addo would soon re-nominate people for Assemblies that rejected their nominees and called on Assembly members not to delay in their confirmation.
He is an experienced Assembly man, having served as the Secretary of the Greater Accra region PMs before becoming the Regional Dean and later the national Dean.
He is also the longest serving Assembly Member in the country, with vast experience in Local Governance.
GNA