By Yussif Ibrahim
Obuasi (Ash), Sept. 2, GNA – Mr Elijah Adansi-Bonah, the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, has called for greater respect and mutual understanding between Presiding Members (PMs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to help speed up development in local communities.
He said PMs and MMDCEs needed to maintain “cool heads” and mutual respect in charting a common cause of promoting development and improving the living conditions of the people in their local areas.
Mr Adansi-Bonah made the call at a meeting of Presiding Members from the Ashanti region at Obuasi.
The meeting coincided with the election of Apostle Alexander Frimpong Boadu, the PM of Obuasi Municipal Assembly, as the Dean of the Ashanti Regional Presiding Members.
He polled 24 votes to beat his challenger, Mr George Oppong, who secured 11 votes.
Mr Adansi-Bonah said speedy development of local communities to improve the living conditions and standards of the people should be the prime concern of the leadership of local assemblies.
He commended the PMs for coming together and urged them to work closely with all other key stakeholders in their areas to address the challenges facing the people.
Mr Alexander Frimpong, the Asante Akim South Municipal Chief Executive and Dean of the Ashanti Regional MMDCEs, recalled the impasse between the DCE of Bosome Freho and the Presiding Member and other members of the assembly, saying such developments cast a slur on the assembly.
He said the issue bothered on the lack of good relationships between the DCE, the Presiding Member and the assembly members and stressed the need for all parties in local governance to respect and trust each other.
Mr Frimpong pointed out that the district could develop when all of them united with a common purpose.
Mr Boadu, the newly elected Dean, on his part, called on the Government and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to provide the needed resources and logistics to the PMs to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.
He also called for a fixed term of tenure for PMs to give them the needed security and confidence in the performance of their duties.
Mr Boadu pledged to set up committee to help address some of the challenges of confrontation between MMDCEs and PMs.
GNA