Koforidua, April 13, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has been asked to fix a date for Unit Committee bye-elections in areas where membership was incomplete and places where there were no nominations during the last District Assembly and Unit Committee elections. This would help in the establishment of the lower structures of the District Assembly concept, facilitate national development and help reduce corruption in the local government system. The Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Eric Bortey, made the call at a one-day capacity building workshop on local government system for journalists in the country.

It was organized by the NCCE in collaboration with the Eastern Regional Secretariat of Ghana Journalists Association in Koforidua. Mr Bortey said information from the EC indicated that out of the 844 electoral areas in the Eastern Region, 119 electoral areas did not have full component of the members of unit committees and there was the need for bye-elections to be organized to fill the gab. He said at 40 electoral areas, there were no nominations for members of the unit committees in those areas.

He said if the situation was allowed to continue, the sub-structures in many areas in the country would not be functioning and that would not augur well for the infant democracy. Mrs Augustina Akumanyi, Deputy Chairman of NCCE, called on Journalists to play advocacy role and ensure that various Unit Committees, town, urban and zonal councils were fully established and functioning to meet the aspirations of the people. She said the lower structures of the District Assembly system, was an effective channel through which government was brought to the doorsteps of the citizenry.

Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II, Chief of Kade, said the current local government system had ignored the inclusion of traditional authorities in the formal structure of the local government system. He called for the appointment of people with experience and ability to withstand pressure and harassment from party functionaries as District Chief Executives.