Wellembelle E/A Assembly member elected UWR representative of NALAG

Mr Tanko Daniel Dauda, Assembly member for Wellembelle Electoral Area has been elected as the Upper West Regional Representative of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) during the regional delegates conference in Wa.

He polled 23 out of the 54 valid votes cast to beat his two other opponents, Mr. Stephen B. Kpen, Presiding Member (PM) for Lawra District Assembly and Mr Abdul-Karim Topie, PM for Wa Municipal Assembly who polled 19 and 11 votes respectively.

Mr Dauda who is also a Political Science Lecturer at the Socio-Political and Historical Studies Department of the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in his acceptance speech thanked the Assembly members for their support and pledged to represent the region at the national level.

Top among the issues he promised to champion on behalf of his colleagues at the national level included; the issue of Assembly members’ ex-gratia and the procurement of motor bikes for members.

He also promised to enhance free flow of information from national to the district level and urged the Municipal and District Chief Executives (DCE) of the various Assemblies and his colleague Assembly members to lend him the necessary support for him to deliver.

Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, the President of NALAG in a speech read on his behalf before the election said the theme: “Enhancing Public Participation and Demand for Accountability in Local Governance in Ghana” was chosen for this year’s regional delegates conference to reflect the importance of local governments in the realisation of the global agenda which Ghana was a signatory to.

“It is imperative to indicate that local governance and decentralisation has taken global dimensions and Assembly members must appreciate the implication it has on their operations at the local level”, he said.

Mr. Anang-la mentioned the resignation of the then General Secretary in 2016 and the revocation of the appointment of some of the council members by President Akufo-Addo during the transition period as major challenges that slowed down the pace of work by the Association.

The NALAG President said notwithstanding the challenges, some successes have been chalked including recruitment of a new General Secretary, capacity building of Assembly members, affiliation and partnerships with the global community, building of a data base to facilitate planning and administration and improved communication among stakeholders.

Mr. Baciera Sankaara, the outgoing Upper West Regional Representative of NALAG congratulated Mr. Dauda on his election and urged him to pursue the good things that he started but could not complete to ensure their successful completion in order to enhance the activities of the association in the region.