The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Central Gonja, Sualisu Be-Awuribe has challenged the newly inaugurated assembly members to adopt pragmatic ways of consolidating the Internal Revenue Mobilization efforts of the assembly to ensure massive infrastructural development in their electoral areas and the district at large.
According to the DCE, the only surest way an accelerated development could be recorded in the District was for all stakeholders especially the assembly members to bury their political sentiments and massively woo their communities to honour their tax obligations.
Addressing the 44 government appointees and elected assembly members at an inaugural ceremony in Buipe, Hon Be-Awuribe emphasized that the development aspirations of the people in the district could smoothly be met, only if concerted efforts were made to support the District Assembly Common Fund from the Central Government with other internally generated revenues.
Even though the Central Gonja District is the 2nd leading industrial hub in the whole of the Northern Region after the capital, Tamale, there seems to be some lapses in its revenue mobilization. The DCE was optimistic that with collective efforts, the assembly could increase its revenue collection target by 150%.
Between January to June 2010, the Central Gonja District Assembly bagged over GH¢90,000 but Hon Be-Awuribe believed that the assembly could do better if the people were encouraged and the assembly members desist from playing politics with the development of the area.
However, the DCE congratulated the new assembly members on their elections and also for accepting to serve the people and the district as a whole. He remained them of the responsibilities ahead of them and entreated them to be selfless, committed and responsive to the needs of the people.
He indicated that, the Central Gonja District which is one of the youngest districts in the country was challenged with inadequate educational and health infrastructures, lack of water, access roads and other amenities needed to make life more comfortable for the people.
That notwithstanding, the assembly he said had been able to construct a number of classroom blocks to eliminate schools under trees in the district, health centres, assisted farmers and also created jobs for majority of the youth under the National Youth Employment Programme among others.
The DCE disclosed that the ruling government had secured funds for the construction of district hospital at Buipe as part of efforts to enhancing quality health care delivery.
Hon Be-Awuribe also cautioned them against the abuse of their powers/position since such conducts could undermine the purpose for which they were elected to serve in the assembly.
On the other hand, Mr. Frankie Kwesi Agbozo was re-elected as the Presiding Member for the Central Gonja for the second term. He defeated Mr. Abubakari I. Yussif by 33 votes as against 11 votes out of the 44 votes cast. The Election of the Presiding Members which was conducted by the District Electoral Officer, Gariba D. Jacob, was earlier between four contestants, but two candidates; Iddrisu Zakaria and Iddrisu Ibrahim voluntarily stepped down.
The Security Personnel deployed to the elections grounds were virtually on holiday, as the people conducted themselves peacefully and made the exercise a successful one.
However, the Minister for Transport, Collins Dauda who represented President John Evans Atta Mills also commended the assembly members for resolving to serve the district. He reminded them that their election and appointment was a mark of confidence the people had had in them, hence they must live up to expectations.
The Minister added his voice to the call by the DCE for the new assembly members to come out with new strategies in collaboration with the management of the assembly to generate adequate revenue to complement the efforts of the central government.
Hon Collins Dauda entreated the assembly members to prioritize the sanitation management of their areas to free the people from contracting diseases and to also reduce the huge spending on waste management by the assembly.
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