Jirapa (UW/R), Feb. 05, GNA – Staff of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been advised to support their chief executives (MMDCEs) to effectively implement government policies and programmes to improve the lives of the people.
“You are civil servants and you should put partisan politics aside and support the MMDCEs in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, said this at Jirapa during a visit to the District Assembly at the weekend to interact with the staff and abreast himself of their challenges.
The Minister, who also visited the Nadowli District Assembly, noted that the DCEs were the representatives of the president to champion the development agenda aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.
The tour of the MMDAs formed part of the mandate of the regional ministers’ office to monitor and play a supervisory role over the assemblies.
Dr Salih had earlier paid similar visits to seven other districts and municipalities and is yet to visit the Wa Municipal and Wa West Districts Assemblies.
“Since President Akufo-Addo took charge of the administration of this country in January 2017, he has introduced and implemented a number of programmes and projects,” he said.
These include the Planting for Food and Jobs, Free Senior High School, and the One-district-one-warehouse programmes, which, he said, were of enormous benefit to the people.
He urged the people to embrace the E-levy being introduced by government to rake in funds for more developmental programmes.
Dr Salih said there could not be meaningful development without funds and that the E-levy was a laudable means of securing those funds.
He earlier handed over 632 laptop computers, modems, and bags to the Upper West Regional Director of Education for onward distribution to heads of selected junior high schools in the region.
It was under the World Bank’s Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) to improve learning outcomes.
Madam Phoebe Balagumyetime, the Nadowli-Kaleo District Director of Health Services, appealed to the Minister to help improve the infrastructure base of the District Hospital, including accommodation for the staff.
She said the poor state of accommodation for critical service providers such as the medical doctors could discourage them from giving of their best.
Mr Nicholas Soyiri, the DCE for Jirapa, noted that inadequate revenue for the municipality was a major setback to its operations.
“Our IGF is still very low. For the year 2021, we were able to collect 67 per cent of our projected revenue of GH¢220,000.00,” he said.
“However, under my leadership, we are strengthening and developing new strategies of revenue collection.”
GNA