Local Government Service holds orientation for newly recruited staff

Accra, Feb. 27, GNA - The Local Government Service (LGS) is holding a three-day orientation for 180 newly recruited staff of the Service.

The new recruits which included Internal Auditors, Budget and Planning Officers would be oriented on all issues relating to the LGS and also put them in the right frame of mind to work at the local government level.

Topics including Organisational Behavior, Ethics and Accountability, cross-cutting issues in Local Governance, Development Planning and Service Delivery, Budgeting and Report, Revenue Mobilisation, Information Technology in Local Governance and Internal Controls at the District Assembly levels, would be treated.

Mr Akwesi Oppong Fosu, Head of Service (LGS), in an address in Accra on Monday, said the programme was the second to be held for the three National Zones and it involved the Southern Zone, which include the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta Regions.

He explained the critical role of the Local Government System to the implementation of government policies and programmes, adding that it was at that level that implementation and evaluation were effected to ensure results.

He stressed that it was important therefore for the government to improve upon the System by ensuring enhanced human resource to deliver quality services.

Mr Fosu said to ensure quality output, the government had approved a total budget of GH¢ 25 million for the training of a total of 2,600 fresh graduates.

According to him, an additional budget of about GH¢ 40 million had also been approved to cater for infrastructure development for an enhanced programme developed to recruit about 2000 National Service personnel to serve in District Assemblies under the special programme.

He explained that the LGS was an extension of the government machinery and the newest public service organization to ensure the effective operation of District Assemblies.

Mr Ofosu encouraged the newly recruited Officers to endeavour to observe high professional integrity and comport themselves.

“You must also operate within the ethics of the Service devoid of partisan politics and disabuse their minds on the fact that they would rise through the ranks and become Directors at the Head Office,” he advised.

He said the Service had currently been designed in a manner that the Districts would also have their own Directors and that top jobs would also be maintained in the Districts instead of the usual concentration at the Head Office.

He said if they failed to deliver the expected Government services, it would lead to the total failure of government policies and programmes at the local level.

Dr Callistus Mahama, a Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, said the Institute had over the years ensured training for its staffs to ensure higher performance.

GNA