The President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Alfred Asiedu Adjei, has delivered a strong message to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), declaring that the era of making promises without delivering results is over.

Addressing Presiding Members at the Ashanti Regional Conference of Presiding Members in Kumasi, Asiedu Adjei said citizens now expect visible development, transparency and responsive leadership from local authorities, warning that Assemblies that fail to meet these expectations risk losing public confidence.

“Local governance is changing across the world. Citizens are no longer satisfied with promises alone. They want results. They want leaders who listen. They want transparency in the use of public resources. They want Assemblies that are responsive to their needs,” he stated.

The conference, held under the theme, “Leading Change at the Grassroots: The Role of Presiding Members,” brought together local government leaders to discuss strategies for strengthening decentralised governance and improving service delivery.

Asiedu Adjei challenged Presiding Members to become drivers of development by ensuring that Assembly resolutions translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

He said communities expect Assemblies to provide practical solutions to poor roads, inadequate sanitation, flooding, unemployment, healthcare and other pressing development challenges rather than endless deliberations.

“Communities do not remember leaders for the offices they occupied. They remember them for the problems they solved,” he said.

The NALAG President stressed that Presiding Members must move beyond their procedural responsibilities to champion accountability, build consensus and promote innovation within their Assemblies.

He further urged MMDAs to embrace technology, strengthen internally generated revenue mobilisation and adopt data-driven planning to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Asiedu Adjei also called for greater transparency in the management of public funds, saying public trust can only be sustained when citizens are actively involved in decision-making and Assemblies are held accountable for the resources under their control.

He appealed to local authorities to ensure that women, youth and persons with disabilities are fully represented in governance processes, stressing that inclusive development is essential to national progress.

The NALAG President reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to advocating improved welfare for Assembly Members and Presiding Members through enhanced logistics, capacity building and timely payment of allowances.

He concluded by reminding participants that Ghana’s development agenda will ultimately be judged by the performance of its local governments.

“When our Assemblies succeed, our districts succeed. When our districts succeed, our regions succeed. And when our regions succeed, Ghana succeeds,” he said.

His remarks underscored the growing demand for performance-based leadership in local governance and reinforced calls for Assemblies to deliver measurable development instead of relying on promises.