KETU NORTH MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS ITS MAIDEN ORDINARY MEETING OF THE FOURTH (4TH) SESSION OF THE FOURTH (4TH) ASSEMBLY

In fulfillment of the mandate imposed by the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936) to apprise the House on the performance of the functions of the Executive Committee and the state of the Municipality at the beginning of each session, Ketu North Municipal Assembly held its Maiden Ordinary Meeting of the Fourth (4^th) Session of the Fourth (4^th) Assembly at the Assembly Hall on Friday, 19^th May, 2023.

Briefing the House, the Hon. Presiding Member indicated that the meeting was being held to discuss Hon. Municipal Chief Executive’s Sessional Address, Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC) Report, Assembly’s bye-laws review Report, and consider the presentations on financial literacy by the Bank of Ghana, general security situation in the Municipality by the Police and Avenor Rural Bank on their products.

Reporting on the state of peace and security of the Municipality, the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive said that despite the general peaceful nature of the Municipality, pockets of chieftaincy issues continue to negatively impact the collective progress of the Municipality. He appealed to all actors to refer their disagreements to the Regional House of Chiefs or the Court for redress.

He hinted the House that his several visits to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) requesting additional personnel and other logistics had been honoured. He indicated that the Municipality had received 33 police personnel comprising 28 males and 5 females, 1 Toyota Hillux Pick-up and 10 Motorbikes to facilitate the establishment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU) in the Municipality. He further hinted that he had also been reliably informed that other logistics will soon arrive in order to fully strengthen the Unit to enable it carry out its mandate.

On good governance, he said that the continuous successes chalked by the Assembly could not have been possible but for the institution of good governance mechanisms and best practices management of the Assembly had adopted over the years. This was evident in the recent Performance Contract Assessment (PCA) for the period of 2022 where the Assembly was rated one of the highest performing Assemblies in the Region with a provisional score of 90% which was a gross improvement on last year’s performance of 56%.

Reporting on the financial performance of the Assembly, the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive said that, the Assembly mobilised an Internally Generated Fund (IGF) of Four Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Eight Ghana Cedis, Eight Pesewas (GH¢411,228.08) which represented 155.12% growth in revenue as compared to the same period of 2022 actual revenue receipts of Two Hundred and Sixty Five Thousand, One Hundred and Three Ghana Cedis, Twenty Pesewas (GH¢265,103.20). 

On health activities, the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive indicated that during the period under review, the department carried out activities such as immunization, OPD services, Child Welfare Clinics, monitoring and trainings.

On education, youth and sports, he stated that the directorate received 250 dual desks from the Assembly and subsequently distributed same to the various Basic Schools across the Municipality. Other activities included sensitization workshops, Guidance and Counselling activities, mop up trainings, and regular supervision of schools.

Further, the Municipal Chief Executive said that the Social Protection and Community Development Department collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority to register and renew NHIS cards for 2,159 beneficiaries under indigenes and Persons with Disabilities programme, and supported Six (6) Persons living With Disabilities (PWDs) with items such as fridges, corn mill machines, fufu grinding machine with an electric motor, pepper grinding machine, butterfly sewing machine with table and chair, provisions and secondhand clothing, among others to enable them set up their own small businesses.

Reporting on Economic Development of the Municipality, his address touched on activities undertaken by the Ghana Enterprises Agency through the Business Advisory Centre (BAC), the Department of Agriculture, the Physical Planning Department and concluded with some developmental projects currently on-going across the various communities within the Municipality and their levels of completion:

Reporting on the Executive Committee Recommendations, the Municipal Chief Executive stated that upon thorough deliberation on the report of the Executive Committee, it was resolved that:

1. The Assembly should consider acquiring land for a public cemetery to avoid indiscriminate burials.

1. Management should organize intensive public education for stakeholders on building permit acquisition and regularize the existing buildings without permit.
2. All public toilets belonging to the Assembly should be privatized. Especially the one located at the Dzodze market.

1. And that the Assembly should conduct water quality test for all boreholes to ensure water being served to the public was safe.

Briefing the House, Rev. Kwasi Twum, Head of External Dispute Resolution Unit, and supported by Daniel Sarpong, Anti Money Laundry Officer and Nana Asaa Parker, Head of Financial Inclusion and Marketing of the Bank of Ghana hinted Members that the presentation was aimed at sensitizing both elected and appointed Assembly Members on the current happenings in the financial space. It was to further ensure that participants were well educated and subsequently carry the information to their various electorates leading to the financial inclusion agenda of the Government. Their presentation touched on Financial System Regulators, Responsible Savings and Investments, Securing your Bank Accounts, Responsible Borrowing, and Complaint Resolution Procedure.

Further, officers from the Avenor Rural Bank comprising Madam Amenuku Charlotte Elikem, the Branch Manager of Akatsi and Mr. Samuel S. Adiaku, the Branch Manager of Dzodze also took their turn and presented the products being offered by their bank such as Current Account, Savings Account, Investment, Loans and Advances, as well as Transfers.

Madam Amenuku Charlotte Elikem entreated Hon. Members and participants at the meeting to take advantage of the products being offered by the bank to secure the financial future of their children. She further encouraged them to patronize the bank since it was an indigenous bank and wholly own by the people. She appealed to Hon. Assembly Members to invite the bank to sensitize their respective community folks during community gatherings and durbars.

Addressing the gathering, Inspector Danyo, the Station Officer in charge of the Dzodze Police Station indicated that the IGP had selected the Ketu North Municipality for the establishment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU) to combat riot and other unlawful gathering.

He added that the Municipality received 33 Police Personnel comprising of 28 males and 5 females, 1 Toyota Hilux pick-up and 10 motorbikes to facilitate the establishment of the Unit. He assured the House that, the internal security of the Municipality was secured and that residents were going about their activities without any form of fear.

He hinted the House that as part of the Police operational activities, it was engaging in under cover exercises to arrest criminals which were often arraigned before the court. He said Police visibility had improved across the Municipality and that Police personnel had been stationed at various vantage points within the Municipality to secure the security of the Municipality.

Also, the Hon. Presiding Member revealed that the National Identification Authority officer who was summoned before the Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC) subsequently wrote and read to the General House an apology letter as demanded by the Committee. Hon. Members accepted his apology and advised that professionalism should be exhibited in the discharge of his duties.

Also, the Convener of Justice and Security Sub-Committee, Hon. Paul Atsu Avuglah presented the reviewed bye-law report to the House as indicated below:

1. Section 79 of the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462) was reviewed to Section 181 of the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936).
2. The name “Ketu North District Assembly” was changed to “Ketu North Municipal Assembly”.
3. The year of enactment “2010” was reviewed to “2023”.
4. The Area / Town Council was changed to Zonal Council.
5. The Act that established the authority of the Assemblies, Act 462 and Legislative Instrument L.I.1475 of 1989 was changed to Act 936 and Legislative Instrument L.I. 2282 of 2017.
6. Fines in monetary values as per the old Act had been reviewed to penalty units as stated in Section 181 of the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). Where One Hundred (100) penalty units is equivalent to GH¢1,200.00 and Two Hundred and Fifty (250) penalty units is also equivalent to GH¢3,000.00 as recommended fines for offences.
7. In the previous bye law, erection, alteration or extension of buildings in areas within the jurisdiction of the Assembly which used to be regulated by the National Building Regulation, 1996 (L.I. 1630) will now be regulated by the existing L.I. 1630 and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act 2019 (Act 925), Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), Section 91 to 107 and Land Use and Spatial Planning Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2383).

Present at the event were: Hon. Byron Kwakutsey Kpeli (Hon. Presiding Member), Anthony Avorgbedor (Hon. Municipal Chief Executive), Elected Assembly Members, Government Appointees, Officers from Bank of Ghana, and Staff at Avenor Rural Bank. Also, present at the meeting were Heads of Security Services, Departmental and Unit Heads of the Assembly, Friends from the Media, and the residents.