Regional News of Saturday, 28 August 2004

Source: GNA

Amenfi East Assembly elects first Presiding Member

Wassa Akropong (W/R), Aug. 28, GNA - Mr. John Appiah-Amponsah, 44, Headmaster of the Wassa Saa District Model Junior Secondary School was on Thursday elected as the Presiding Member (PM) of the newly created Amenfi East District Assembly. He polled 25 votes to defeat Mr. John Appiah, who received 19 votes, Mr. Kyekyeku Ampong who had six, and Mr. Brodick Biaw who polled two. The elections was supervised and conducted by personnel of the Electoral Commission. Mr. Appiah-Amponsah a citizen of Wassa Saa in the Amenfi East District pledged to work for the rapid development of the district. He called on the assembly members to support and sacrifice in the interest of the district. Mr. Samuel A. Takyi, the District Chief Executive of Wassa Amenfi called on the assemblymen and staff of the Amenfi East Assembly to remain united and work to improve the living conditions of the people. 28 Aug. 04
Ghana News Agency Home News Service (Politics) Fourth transmission for today, Saturday hours.
e-mail: ghnews@ghana.com Fax: 669841 Tel:665136/662381
Major events expected include
Wulensi (N/R): Newly created Nanumba South District inaugurated
Attention recipients: credit GNA with all stories used. 28 Aug 04
NPOL 05 Politics District Inauguration Newly created Nanumba South District inaugurated
Wulensi (NR), Aug. 28, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has stated that the rapid development of the country should be the shared responsibility of central government, district assemblies and the communities. He said it was in view of this that the government through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) was initiating far-reaching measures and committing resources aimed at advancing the frontiers of local governance and democracy. The President said this in a speech read for him by Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD at the inauguration of the newly created Nanumba-South District Assembly on Friday. The new district with Wulensi as its capital was carved out of the Nanumba District. The rest of the new districts created in the Northern Region are: Karaga District, separated from Gushiegu/Karaga, Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District, carved out of East Mamprusi District, Sawla/Kalba District, separated from the Bole District and Central Gonja separated from the West Gonja District. These bring to 18 the number of districts currently in the Northern Region. More POT/GA
NPOL 06 Politics District Inauguration 2 Wulensi (N/R) President Kufuor expressed the conviction that by increasing the number of districts in the country from 110 to 138 the necessary conditions were being created to accelerate the provision of local infrastructure, enhancing local service delivery and ensuring equitable development throughout the country. The President urged the new districts to intensify their efforts at revenue generation to enable them to undertake development projects in their areas, saying: "The District Assemblies' Common Fund is to supplement your efforts at revenue generation and not to replace it." He advised the Assembly Members against fighting among themselves or with their District Chief Executive and Member of Parliament adding that they should rather focus attention on development to improve the living standards of their people. Alhaji Ibn Salifu, Chief of Wulensi, commended the government for the creation of the District and said: "This is a dream come true." He announced that in appreciation, he had released a large tract of land to the assembly for the construction of offices and residential accommodation for its staff. He pledged that he and his sub-chiefs would help educate the people on the need to pay their taxes to improve the assembly's financial base. Alhaji Salifu appealed to the government to construct a bridge over the Daka River at Chichagi to connect the area to its neighbours to enhance trading activities among them. Alhaji Saani Iddi the District Chief Executive for Nanumba North, asked the people to keep their surroundings clean to avoid contracting diseases such as malaria and cholera, which he said were on the increase in the area. Mr Emmanuel Tidakbi, the Presiding Member of the new District Assembly, appealed to the members and chiefs for their support to enable him to discharge his duties effectively. 28 Aug. 04