Unity, self-help critical to development of new districts - Kassangbata

Mr. Abu Kansangbata, Nadowli District Chief Executive (DCE) on Thursday cautioned assembly members in the newly created Dafffiama-Bussie-Issa District to avoid involving themselves in chieftaincy matters, as such practices have the potential of dividing their ranks.

The success of the district, he said, would depend largely on unity and peace among the people.

The DCE made the call in a speech at the inaugural ceremony of the new district at Issa in the Upper West Region.

He disclosed that the district had received Miss Ghana Organizers Announces Contestants’ Prizes GH?100,000 from government for infrastructural development .

Mr. Kasangbata appealed to the people in the district to undertake self-help projects to complement government’s development efforts to ensure the rapid development of the district.

Mr. Alban Sumani Bagbin, Minister of Health who performed the formal inauguration on behalf of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, said the creation of new districts was one of the fulfillment of the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) manifesto presented to the Ghanaians in the 2008 elections.

He said the policy was to deepen the decentralisation process and provide development to enhance the socio–economic advancement of the people.

He expressed the hope that the fulfillment of those promises made to Ghanaians would make the people to put faith in the NDC and retain the party in power in the forthcoming general election.

Mr. Bagbin advised authorities manning the newly created districts to take urgent steps to plan the district capitals properly and to maintain good sanitation and environmental practices to avoid what was being experienced in the older districts.

He announced that government had accepted the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendation to elect DCEs and district assembly members to be paid by central government.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, called on assembly members in the new district to ensure the judicious use of resources allocated by government for the benefit of the people.

He urged them to work as a team to achieve the needed development aspirations of the people in the communities.

The Dafffiama-Bussie-Issa District was curved out from the Nadowli District, and 25 assembly members were sworn into office during the inaugural ceremony to run the affairs of the new district.**