Wechiau, March 18, GNA- Mr Ambrose Dery, the Upper West Regional Minister, has said the purpose for creating new districts would be defeated if assembly members failed to impact positively on the lives of the people.

Therefore, assembly members should see their role as a calling to translate the expectations of their people into reality. He said this when he addressed a meeting of the Wa West District Assembly at Wechiau on Thursday.

Mr Dery urged assembly members to show the way forward by leading their communities to socio-economic empowerment through programmes of the assemblies.

The minister asked the assembly to take advantage of the potentials of the district, which include a number of water bodies, the Wechiau hypo-sanctuary and markets.

Mr Dery cautioned the assembly not to rely solely on funds from the District Assemblies Common Fund but should exploit all avenues to raise revenue.

Mr Salifu B. Kanton, the District Co-ordinating Director, said the assembly bagged 32 million cedis from its local revenue sources from September 2004 to February this year.

The Wa West Assembly was inaugurated in September 2004. Mr Kanton said with the high revenue potential of the district, it could have done better than this and urged assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders in the district to put their shoulders to wheel to improve the assembly's revenue base.

Alhaji Hassan Issaka, a Senior Nurse at the Wa Government Hospital, was elected as the Presiding Member of the assembly.

He was the sole candidate and had 20 votes in his favour with one against.