Accra, (Greater Accra) 27 Oct.

The centenary celebration of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will be launched with a durbar of chiefs and queenmothers and an exhibition of their regalia on Saturday, November one. The celebration, under the theme: "Accra Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," which will last six months, will be used to assess the socio-economic development of Accra over the years and prospects for the future. At a news conference in Accra today, Mr. Nat Nuno-Amarteifio, chief executive of AMA, said the assembly has voted 100 million cedis for the celebration, but this will be supplemented with donations from corporate bodies and organisations. In February 1898, the Accra Town Council was formally established in accordance with the Town Council Ordinance of 1894 to promote efficiency in the administrative machinery of the city. Over the years, the legislative instrument establishing the assembly has been amended to meet the challenges of the times. The last amendment was made in 1993 when the Local Government Act was passed to give the AMA deliberative, legislative and executive functions. Mr. Nuno-Amarteifio said the population of Accra has grown from about 100,000 people to about 3.8 million today. However, its infrastructure and facilities have not been adequately expanded to meet the needs of the people.