By Erica Apeatua Addo,
Ahwetieso (W/R), Aug. 30, GNA – The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly has been awarded “the ‘Best Partner District’ under GIZ’s nationwide ‘Governance for Inclusive Development’ programme.
The programme, which started in October 2019, is expected to end in September this year.
The Municipal Internal Auditor, Mr David Essah, and the Municipal Planning Officer, Mrs Amanda Agyei, under the same programme also won the ‘Best Accountability Partner’ and the ‘Best Collaborating Officer’ respectively.
Mr Benjamin Kessie, the Municipal Chief Executive, announced these at the second ordinary meeting of the eighth Assembly at Ahwetieso to discuss issues that would promote the development of the Municipality and ultimately transform the lives of the citizenry and the future generation.
In his welcoming address, Mr Kessie said, “with a heart full of joy, I am happy to announce to you that our Municipality has once again become the envy of the Western Region and the country at large.”
Mr Kessie said, “this feat came as a result of the sense of purpose, unity and peaceful co-existance between the assembly members, myself and other hardworking technocrats.
That, he stressed, has made the inhabitants within the Municipality to continue to enjoy the numerous developmental initiatives set out by the assembly and the government of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo.
The MCE recalled the assembly recognizing the growing demand for the greater openness and the need to improve upon existing civic participation within the municipality made the decision to join Government Reformers across the globe through the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2022.
“The Open Government Partnership is based on the idea that an open government is more accessible, more responsible, and more accountable to citizens and that improving the relationship between the people and their government has long-term exponential benefit for everyone,” he noted
Mr Kessie explained that the OGP was a nationwide partnership made up of 78 countries, 104 local governments and thousands of civil society organizations across the globe, adding, through the partnership, these powerful forces work together to co-create action plans with concrete steps, thus commitments-across a broad range of policy areas.
This model, the MCE, emphasized, allowed civil society Organizations and citizens engagement to play a role in shaping and overseeing government.
Currently, the OGP would be organizing a global summit of all partners and locals in Tallinn, Estonia (Eastern Europe) on the 6th and 8th September 2023, he stated.
Mr Kessie announced that the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly has once again emerged as the winner for the ‘Best lnitiative for Open Government Partnership Local, Africa Region category with the Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Programme (YaWEP).
“I am glad to indicate that l would be traveling to Estonia to receive the award on behalf of the Assembly. Let me, therefore, use this opportunity to appreciate all honorable members for your support and cooperation towards these commitments,” he added.
Mr Emmanuel Gado, Presiding Member, congratulated the management and staff of the assembly for the good work done and pledged their continued support to ensure that the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly attained its mission of being a world class model Municipality.
GNA