Assembly members to receive motorbikes - NALAG

The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has said assembly members across the country would soon receive motorbikes to enhance their work.

Madam Agnes Naa Lartey, the General Secretary of NALAG, said this at the Western Regional Delegates Conference of the association in Sekondi at the weekend.

She said the association was working closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to procure the motorbikes for them in order to meet regularly with their constituents.

She said NALAG, which was the recognised mouthpiece for assembly members, presiding members and chief executives, would continue to pursue issues concerning their welfare, saying it would be the second time since 2011 that assembly members would receive motorbikes.

The association would, therefore, create conducive platform for interaction with members to understand their challenges in order to make the decentralisation process effective, she added.

Madam Lartey said the Association would work closely with the government and other relevant stakeholders both locally and internationally to ensure the formulation of laws and policies that would enhance their work.

The conference, the ninth in the series, afforded the association members, comprising the 22 metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, presiding members, and assembly members to elect a representative to represent them at the National Executive Council (NEC).

Touching on end of service benefits of assembly members, Madam Lartey indicated that the amount was calculated on the internally-generated funds of their respective assemblies and, therefore, entreated them to work hard to increase their revenues to receive substantial amounts as ex-gratia.

Alhaji Mohammed Doku, President of NALAG, in a speech read on his behalf, said NALAG had established a database of all the 216 MMDAs in the country to enhance the management and visibility of the association.

He said it was also developing a strategic business plan for the association in order to make it attractive to donor partners, adding that it had already established three regional secretariats in Volta, Northern and Greater Accra regions to improve on its visibility.

“Plans are underway to seek investors to enter into a private partnership agreement with NALAG for the development of its plots which will consolidate the financial standing of the Association,” he said.

The delegates elected Alhaji Azure Sulemana, the Presiding Member for Amenfi West District Assembly, as the Western Regional NALAG representative to the National Executive Council after defeating three other candidates.

The regional delegates’ conference was a constitutional requirement of the Association which creates conducive platform to strengthen the bond among members and deliberate on issues affecting their welfare.

The regional delegates’ conference is a constitutional requirement of the association which creates conducive platform to strengthen the bond among members and deliberate on issues affecting their welfare.