MMDAs told to stop singing “no money”
Dr. Callistus Mahama, Head of Local Government Service (LGS), on Tuesday appealed to Metropolitan Municipal and District Coordinating Directors to “stop singing no money” and explore revenue opportunities within their jurisdictions to undertake development projects.
Dr. Mahama was addressing Co-ordinating Directors from Eastern and Volta regions in Ho at a Co-ordinating Directors’ conference at the instance of Local Government Service.
He told them to exhibit “strength of efficiency” and refrain from throwing their arms in despair when faced with “little” economic challenges.
Dr. Mahama said there were a lot of economic opportunities in the districts and asked the directors to be innovative instead of relying on the Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said as chief bureaucrats, Co-ordinating Directors were authorities at the local level and must rise up to those responsibilities and not shift responsibilities to the central government.
Dr. Mahama said the Service would not accept “ignorance as excuse” and urged the directors to be on top of their jurisdictions.
He said the position of Co-ordinating Directors would soon be made competitive and candidates tasked to justify their selections to those positions.
“Some of you are only attending workshops and cannot raise money locally for your projects. When your positions become competitive, you will be removed to go and learn under someone,” Dr. Mahama said.
Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, the Volta Regional Minister, urged the directors to have high initiative and drive in view of the dwindling central government resources.
“Business as usual is over and completed. There is a high demand and requirement for well-seasoned and experienced public servants who will provide strategic leadership in our contemporary local governance,” he said.
Mr Afotey-Agbo said the vocabulary of directors must no longer be, “there is no money,” but “yes we can.”
He asked them to work closely with traditional rulers to explore ways of increasing the internally generated fund of the Assemblies.
Source: GNA