Residents Participation In Assembly Activities Key To Dev’t - DCE

Mr Anthony Mensah, the Asutifi North District Chief Executive (DCE), has appealed to residents in the area participate in the Assembly's activities to achieve its development goals.

He said the Assembly did not only represent the central government at the local level, but also existed to primarily provide socio-economic services such as education, health, water and sanitation in collaboration with other developmental partners to improve the living conditions of the people.

But the DCE said this could not be achieved without the effective cooperation and participation of the populace in its programmes and activities.

Mr Mensah made the appeal whiles speaking at a Town Hall Meeting jointly organised by the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Goaso and Sustainable Mission Aid (SMAid) International recently at Kenyasi Number Two in the District.

The SMAid International is a Christian non-governmental organisation that promotes social accountability, supports activities of public interest and total health of rural people.

The meeting was designed to bring governance closer to the citizens through open interaction, based on a platform created for the participants to raise concerns and discuss challenges about developmental issues in their respective communities.

It was attended by representatives and leadership of the various segments of the District, including traditional rulers, staff of the Assembly and the general public.

Mr Mensah said the people have the right to know about the sources of the Assembly's revenue generation and how those tax payers' monies were used but this was supposed to be done in a very civil manner to promote peace and development in the area.

He urged the people, especially the youth, to desist from acting contrary to the dictates of the law to mar the peace in their communities, stressing that such moves could result to acts of violence and put people's lives and properties at risk.

He said managing security threats was very costly because expenditure on security officers to maintain peace greatly affected the Assembly's budget.

Mr Mensah advised the citizenry to respect the views of each other in sustaining peace in their communities to enable individuals to go about their daily activities without fear or panic.

He said the Assembly was making effort to end open defecation in the District by the providing toilet facilities in every school.

Mr Gabriel Nyarko, President of the JPC, said the programme was organised because the Church realised that the people had little or no knowledge about the duties and activities of the District Assembly and were unwilling to honour their tax obligations.

He urged the participants to be patriotic and committed in the effort to educate the people in their communities to develop interest in the activities of the Assembly.

Among the questions and issues of concern raised by the people for responses and explanations by the DCE and some heads of institutions and departments were indiscriminate cutting of trees in forests reserves, 'galamsey' (illegal mining) activities, provision of access and quality health care services and adequate educational infrastructure.

Mr George Padmore Mensah, the District Coordinating Director, educated the participants on the local government structure and governance system; the sources of the Assembly's revenue; and how the Assembly executed socio- economic development projects.

Source: GNA