Zambia delegation calls on National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana

A delegation from Zambian’s Ministry of Local Government and Housing has paid a courtesy call on National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) to interact with officials there.

The 11-member delegation was led by Mr Frank Kunda, Principal of the Local Government Training Institute in Zambia who described the visit as an important event that would help in the exchange of ideas and experiences among Ghana’s NALAG and her Zambian counterpart.

Mr Kunda said Zambia has a partnership with Ghana’s Local Government Training Institute which was supporting his country’s Local Government Training Institute in the area of capacity building and curriculum development.

“That is why we have embarked on this week-long trip to Ghana to build capacities and to call on NALAG as well”.

On how the Zambian local government operates, Mr Kunda said there were lots of similarities in governance administration in both countries, but said Council members and Chief Executive Officers of Zambia’s Local Council were elected.

He said traditional authorities in Zambia were also included in the governance and many of them are elected as assembly members.

He advised that both countries need to work hard in ensuring maximum participation of the people in governance at the local levels.

Ms Agnes Naa Mamoo Lartey, General Secretary of NALAG and Ms Rita Odoley Sowah, Municipal Chief Executive of La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly who is the new Treasurer of NALAG, with other officials received the Zambia counterparts and briefed them on how Ghana’s system operates.

Ms Lartey said the visit was critical because it would help in experience sharing and interactions among the two bodies.

She said the issues of traditional rulers and elected assembly members in Zambia’s local governance were worth considering, but said Ghana, also has other ways in which it involve traditional rulers in governance.

Source: GNA