Cape Coast, Feb. 10, GNA – Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, Head of Local Government Service, on Thursday, said bidding processes were ongoing for the construction of a state-of-the-art Assembly Complex for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipal Assembly by the end of 2023.
The three storey edifice, would serve as offices for all decentralized departments and agencies in the municipality to ease intra and interagency coordination, supervision and information flow.
Dr. Arthur told the Ghana News Agency, the contract for the project to be funded by the Assembly’s share of the Common Fund, would be awarded by April 2022.
He said the current assembly complex formerly an agricultural warehouse, was partitioned in 1988 to serve as offices for many departments and agencies of the Assembly but is now in a deplorable state.
According to him, renovating the current office complex would cost more, hence the Assembly’s resolve to put up a new facility to be sited right behind the old building.
The move also formed part of government’s determination to deepen effective decentralization through infrastructural devolvement and capacity building to bring local governance to the doorstep of all.
He said local governance would become more effective with deeper stakeholder participation if the assemblies led the efforts at sensitizing the public and empowering them to undertake advocacy for development.
“Central Government would together ensure that we all follow the laws and make sure the assemblies get the people sensitized. Stakeholder participation is necessary and the President’s representatives in the local assemblies must deepen stakeholder engagement.
“Assemblies must create awareness on local level decentralization and grassroots participation. It is important that as we lead the people, we also educate them to understand the set of relations that exist between us”, he added.
The government is aware of the need for more logistical support to run assemblies, including vehicles, the renovation of residences, among others, he said and gave the assurance of the President’s commitment to improve the working and living conditions of all assembly staff.
The Head of the Local Government service said the construction would open up the area for trade and investment and create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth to boost the local economy.
GNA