TMA castigated for non performance

Tema, April 20, GNA - Invited guests to the opening session of the third ordinary meeting of Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) on Wednesday put the assembly members on the carpet and castigated them for non performance.

The guests who did not mince their words noted that inaction of most of the assembly members had contributed largely to the indiscipline in all spheres of life especially environmental filth within the municipality.

When the floor was opened for optional speeches after the sessional address by Mr David Quaye Annang, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), they took turns to criticize them as the MCE, Nii Dortey Abotsi II, Presiding Member and Mr George Scott, Municipal Coordinating Director sat quietly in their seats listening to them.

Past Presiding Members of the assembly, Mr Alfred Kwame Agbesi, Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Security Agencies, Executives of some establishments and Senior Citizens, attended the meeting. Mr Akwasi Tawiah a resident of Tema and Mr Seth Odamten a Senior Citizen said since assembly members in their electoral areas were elected, they had neither convene meetings to brief them on what transpired at the assembly nor organized communal labour. While Mr Odamten said he had never set his eyes on the assemblyman, Mr Tawiah said a spot in his area had been turned into a place of convenience but "the assemblyman who is here with us now, has not done anything about it."

"The assembly members have failed in their task and responsibilities to execute and perform to expectation by going to the field to work," they lamented.

Commenting on the National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Odamten said the registration of 105,902 clients as stated by the MCE at the end of March 2006, was not encouraging considering the population within the municipality and prayed that much work should be done to achieve the desired target.

He stressed the need for the assembly to control hawkers within the harbour city as they (hawkers) now extended their activities to the churches.

Talking on encroachment on public lands, Mr Ian Motey, a resident of Ashaiman and Vice Chairman of the Tema branch of the Ghana Journalists Association said assembly members were perceived to be protecting Government properties "unfortunately those in the electoral area where I live at Ashaiman rather assist people to encroach on public lands."

"Each time we criticize or prevent them the assembly members involved bring macho men to threaten us," he stated with regret and appealed to the assembly to address the issue with urgency else the whole land would be taken over by encroachers. Mr Francis Wouland Tuyee, an Industrialist who was the first Presiding Member of the assembly commended the assembly for doing its best but said, there was the need however, to improve upon its environmental beautification.

He expressed concern about the felling of trees with impunity within parts of the city and called for immediate halt to the unpatriotic practice.

Another Past Presiding Member, Nii Tei Adumuah II, Chief of Apollonia, called on the assembly to diversify its development programme and consider developing rural areas within the municipality and not only concentrate on the harbour city.

He said for instance, roads in the rural areas had become death traps while places of convenience and provision of potable water had become a problem for the rural folks.

On development, Nii Adumuah called for proper planning to avoid turning the rural areas into a slum.

The Municipal Chief Executive in his ses sional address said, with the impending district level elections, aspiring assembly members should conduct their electioneering campaigns in a peaceful manner, devoid of acrimonies usually associated with national partisan elections. "You should endeavour to encourage potential candidates to contest Unit Committee elections, strong, dedicated committees can make the work of the assembly members much easier," he told the assembly members.