By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Dec. 18, GNA – Mr. Joseph Korto, the National Dean of Presiding Members, is seeking to represent the people of the low-cost electoral area in Tema Community for the sixth time at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly.
Mr. Korto, who is the longest assembly member in the country, is currently serving his fifth term and doubles as the TMA presiding member.
After 20 years of being an assemblyman for the same electoral area, Mr. Korto told the Ghana News Agency that he was contesting for the sixth time because the youth and many residents appealed to him to contest as he was their only hope.
He said, “The majority of the area members and the youth came to me to go again; it is not true that one of the candidates is poised to unseat me.”
On what extra vision he has for the area after serving for so long, he said he would continue his good works that have attracted people by making sure the area was well lit.
According to him, over the years he has used his position to lobby and assist the youth to get employment, adding that he has also lobbied contractors working outside Tema to construct drains and streets for the area.
Through his leadership over the years, the only public school in the area, the Redemption Basic School, now has a Junior High School adding that every year he also provided the final pupils with exam logistics to aid them in their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
He said he used his position to mobilise money to pay for two heart surgeries for his residents, adding that a 12-year-old girl was also waiting for hers to be done.
Mr. Korto said his position as the Presiding Member of TMA saw to it that Assembly processes, rules, and regulations for the General Assembly Meeting and Sub-Committee Meeting, among others, were duly followed.
He said he ensured that the Metropolitan Chief Executive and the Metropolitan Coordinating Director followed the timetable and moved in the directions that would keep the TMA at the top of the league table, as well as mobilise revenue for the development of the metropolis.
He said his achievements as the national dean of presiding members included the presentation of citations to all 261 presiding members across the country for their work done during the current assemblies.
He added that he was also able to lobby the people to vote for a council of state members who would help the president achieve his intended vision and aims for the country.
He said that, as part of his achievements, he was integral to solving several misunderstandings between assembly members and their district assemblies across the country.
According to him, with his position, he was able to put the name of Tema, which is the centre of the world, onto the world map, as any time his name was mentioned, TMA also came up.
GNA