Sunyani, Oct 30, GNA 96 A 72-member Sunyani Municipal Assembly was inaugurated on Monday with a call on the members to be diligent, accountable and responsive to the development needs of their people. Assembly was made up of 48 elected members and 21 government appointees in addition to the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, and two Members of Parliament from the area - Mr John Henry Mensah, MP for Sunyani East and Mr Kwadwo Agyei-Darko, Sunyani West.

In a speech read for him, President John Agyekum Kufuor noted that the effectiveness of the assembly members depended on the confidence reposed in them and urged them to be diligent, accountable and responsive to the various assemblies.

He expressed concern about over-reliance on the assembly's common fund and advised the members to find means of generating enough revenue to fund projects such as good sanitary facilities and regular portable water supply.

President Kufuor announced that plans were underway to decentralise the Judicial Service to help facilitate rapid jurisdiction of cases at the local level.

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional area, who presided, urged the assembly members to guard against partisan politicking in course of their duties to help develop their various electoral areas.

The assembly postponed the election of its presiding member after two contestants -- Mr Isaac Amankwaah, an architect and Mr Boakye Broni, Educationist -- failed to secure the required percentage of ballots after a second round of voting.