Wa, Nov. 20, GNA - Members of Wa Municipal Assembly in Upper West Region on Tuesday appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to appoint a new Municipal Chief Executive to replace Mr Mac Adams Banda who was relieved of his post in January this year. The assembly said the appeal was to relieve Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, who had been acting as the Municipal Chief Executive since January.

It noted that Mr Benson then Deputy Upper West Regional Minister was asked by President Kufuor to act as Municipal Chief Executive, but following his appointment as Upper West Regional Minister, he now had oversight responsibility for the other seven districts in the region. Mr Iddrisu Adams, Presiding Member of the assembly made appeal at a three-day workshop for assembly members, chairpersons and secretaries of zonal councils in the municipality at Wa.

The workshop organized by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and Upper West Regional Coordinating Council was to equip the participants with knowledge and skills that would empower them to offer quality leadership and perform effective legislative functions at the local level. Mr Benson addressing the participants said in pursuit of good governance, decentralisation had become a core business of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He noted that this had not only led to the creation of new districts but the overhaul of the local government system and broadening of the Ministry of Local Government's mandate to include environment and establishment of Local Government Service.

Mr James Dasah, Upper West Regional Economic Planning Officer and Leader of the facilitators said topics to be treated would include local government systems and legislative framework, mobilisation, control and use of revenue, the role of assembly members in environmental sanitation and gender issues.