We need dedicated and committed assemblymen for development - Minister

Ashaiman, Oct. 9, GNA - Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, Greater-Accra Regional Minister, has urged assembly members to be dedicated, committed and hardworking, to develop their districts.

He said the government would continue to provide logistics, staffing and office accommodation for them to generate the needed revenue not only for recurrent expenditure, but also for the funding of development projects.

Nii Afotey-Agbo who made the call at the inauguration and swearing-in of the newly elected members of the Ashaiman District Assembly, said one area that needed serious attention was property rate collection with appropriate data on houses.

He, however, cautioned the Town and Country Planning Department, the Survey Department and the Lands Commission, to abide by the rules and regulations concerning the allocation of plots, to ensure proper planning to avoid the dangers of flooding.

The Minister said discussions were on-going for the creation of special courts to facilitate the prosecution of sanitation offenders in the supreme interest of the National Sanitation Day instituted last year by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

He said it was the responsibility of the assembly members to sensitize the people on the special courts before they fell foul of the sanitation laws.

Mr Ibrahim Baidoo, the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, urged the in-coming members to work as a team and think more about the larger community.

'Meaningful development cannot take place in a social environment full of tension, hostility, divisions and conflict. It is crucial all of us to remember that the destiny of our people lies in the collective hands of all of us.

'Our people are looking forward to us to provide them with the needed leadership and direction to alleviate poverty, creation of wealth and tackle sanitation challenges,' Mr Baidoo said.

'I hope that the new Assembly we are about to inaugurate today will live up to its expectation. You are expected to work so hard to improve on the living standard of the people.'

The assembly members were sworn into office by Mr Gabriel Mate-Teye for a four-year term.

GNA