Following the successful conduct of the District Level Election (DLE) in December 2023 and subsequent election of new Assembly Members for the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), all MMDA were directed to take the necessary steps to inaugurate their respective Assemblies.
Consequently, the Ketu North Municipal Assembly held an Inaugural Ceremony on Monday 12th February, 2024 to inaugurate the Fifth (5th) Assembly. The event was classified into morning and afternoon session. The morning session focused on the ceremonial aspect of the event where 56 Assembly Members-elect were sworn-into office for the next four (4) year term while the afternoon session focused on the election of a Presiding Member for the Assembly.
Addressing the gathering, the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive seized the opportunity to congratulate Hon. Assembly Members and encouraged them never to be despair and weary as they have indeed chosen a good path to serve their fellow residents. He therefore, urged them to use their position and the honourable status to help improve the lots of their people.
He said the Assembly aspires to become a reference point for other MMDAs to learn from and that the Assembly can only realize this vision if the required cooperation and support were received from Hon. Assembly Members.
Following a roll call of Assembly Members-elect by the Secretary to the Assembly, His Lordship Nelson Awuku, the Ketu North Municipal Magistrate swore them into office for the next four (4) year term after taking the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy. A total of 56 Members were sworn into office. This included the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive and Hon. Member of Parliament for the Ketu North Constituency.
Addressing the gathering on behalf of the president of the Republic of Ghana, the Hon. Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry congratulated all the elected Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members and Government Appointees on their election and appointment to the Assembly. He indicated that as new membership of the Assembly was being constituted, it is envisaged that new ideas and opportunities would emerge to deepen the deliberative, legislative and executive functions of the Assembly. He urged Hon. Members to be part of the team that would finally change the status quo and deepen local governance and decentralization to enable citizenry have access to public and basic services rather than commuting to Accra for such services.
He further entreated Members to build good working relationships with their colleague Assembly Members, the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, Staff of the Assembly, and the people they represent. Also, they were urged to establish strong partnerships and collaborate with the local structures particularly traditional leaders, opinion leaders, and other identifiable groups to facilitate the work of the Assembly.
He charged Hon. Members to advance the implementation of the Government’s Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2022-2025): Agenda for Jobs II: Creating Prosperity and Equal Opportunity for All. He stated that Members shouldensure that they localize these national development priorities into local actions in their deliberations, planning and decision making for development.
He also indicated that Government had promulgated Births and Deaths Registration Act, 2020 (Act 1027) and Births and Deaths Registration Regulations in 2021 as part of its efforts to deepen decentralization and improve citizenry access to public services. He urged Hon. Assembly Members to deepen their engagements and community sensitization on these legislations to ensure full compliance and consequently ensuring the dividends on decentralization were met.
Present at the event were: Anthony Avorgbedor (Hon. Municipal Chief Executive), Michael Okyere Baafi (Hon. Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry), Dr. James Klutse Avedzi (Hon. Member of Parliament for Ketu North Constituency), Traditional Authorities, Chiefs and Queen Mothers, Assembly Members – Elect, Government Appointees, His Lordship, Nelson Awuku (Magistrate of the Dzodze District Court), Hon. Clever Kofi Lawson (Former District Chief Executive), Mr. Edem Agbana (Ketu North National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate), Mr. Enoch Amegbletor (Ketu North New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Candidate). Also, present at the meeting were Heads of Security Services, Departmental and Unit Heads of the Assembly, Officers of the Electoral Commission, Friends from the Media, and the residents.