Regional Minister advises assemblies to avoid partisan approach

Bawku (Upper East) 8th June ?99

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper East regional minister, has reminded district assemblies to avoid partisan tendencies in the discharge of their functions.

"Even though assembly members may have their individual political affiliations, they should always bear in mind that they are in the assembly to represent the interests of the people", he said.

Alhaji Sulemana was addressing the third ordinary meeting of the first session of the Bawku East district assembly.

"If we allow our assembly to be divided along party or ethnic lines, we may end up never reaching a consensus on vital issues, to the detriment of the people we represent", he added.

The regional minister emphasised that certain provisions in the 1992 constitutions prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of ethnic origin, gender, religion or circumstances of birth.

Alhaji Sulemana regretted that some communities and traditional areas lack behind in development because of land, ethnic and chieftaincy disputes, and urged that such negative tendencies be curbed before they destroy the nation's social fabric.

He entreated assembly members to tolerate divergent views and work together for the promotion of national unity and development.

The regional minister advised members of the assembly to interact constantly with the electorate before and after assembly meetings to keep them abreast with current developments, and to promote a cross-fertilisation of ideas.

Mr. Dominic Akudago, Bawku East district chief executive, said the assembly had bagged 395.9 million cedis in revenue as at April this year, representing 57.4 per cent of an anticipated 515.2 million cedis the assembly intends to reap from traditional sources this year.

The DCE announced that the assembly has completed area council offices, and disbursed loans totalling 116 million cedis to 45 local groups under its poverty alleviation programme.