Ghana Armed Forces Staff College students visit Tano North Municipal

The Ghana Armed Forces Central Command Staff College has paid a courtesy call on the Tano North Municipal Assembly and Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Council.

The delegation was made up of a combined team of forty-three (43) members of Directive Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and Senior Officers Course Students comprises Navy, Army and Air force.

The meeting was aimed at acquainting themselves with the activities of the Assembly, their sources of revenue generation and how well the assembly could collaborate with the traditional council to bring total socio-economic development to their people.

The Armed Forces were drawn from Nigeria, Togo, Guinea, South Africa, Ghana and La Cote D’Ivoire. The move form part of their annual regional environmental study tour of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

The tour is under the theme: "Traditional Leadership and the Local System of Governance; Optimising Progressive Co-existence for the Socio-economic Development of Ghana." They met the Heads of Departments in the Tano North Municipal Assembly.

In his welcome address, the Tano North Municipal Co-ordinating Director Mr. Eric Anarfi said having both traditional and state authorities joint forces will help bring total development at the local level.

The Tano North Municipal Co-ordinating Director Mr. Eric Anarfi addressing the gathering

Mr. Anarfi reiterated that to live in harmony as peaceful collaborators between local governments for socio-economic benefit of the citizenry, identify challenges and unexplored areas in collaboration with local government and traditional authorities would expedite development.

He said the MCE who is head of Tano North Municipal Assembly see the traditional leadership as a vital institution working with local government to promote socio-economic development in their respective assemblies.

The Municipal Finance Officer, Mr. Kofi Anane, told the soldiers how the Assembly generate their Internal Generated Fund (IGF), District Common Fund (DCF) and District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) at the Assembly hall.

Mr. Kofi Anane explained to the soldiers that auditors do not have guidelines as to how the money of the Assembly should be used at the Assembly level but they rather advise the Assembly on how to apply accounting principles to avoid any accounting breach.

Tano North Municipal Planning Officer Mr. Essando in his presentation said the relationship between traditional leaders and the Assembly is cordial and peaceful.

He advised that the Municipal Assembly exercise deliberative, legislative and executive functions to take steps and measures that are necessary to initiate and encourage joint participation with traditional leadership to execute approved development plans.

The Sub Chief of Akwamu, Nana Boakye Bonsu, said the traditional leaders function as custodians of the natural resource including land, fighting for social development for their people, dispute resolution in the communities and ensuring traditional heritage such as norms, values and principles are preserved.

According to him, they also champion developmental activities in their locality. He however reiterated that part of their powers and functions are being taken by politicians and administrative authority in the district which renders them powerless.

Col. Kwaku Parbey presenting plaques to the MCE and to Nana Boakye Tromo III

The leader of the staff and the students, Col. Kwaku Parbey said they will factor the concerns of the traditional leaders and the Municipal Assembly in their annual reports.

Col. Kwaku Parbey presented plaques to the MCE and Nana Boakye Tromo III respectively from the Armed Force Staff College and also wished the 95-year-old chief long life to continue to be a point of reference for them to continue to tape his enormous wisdom.