“Such platforms offer Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) the opportunity to interact with residents on various topics of interest and address issues concerning the progress, growth and development of communities and improve livelihoods,” he explained.

He noted that not everyone within the district had the opportunity to attend the meeting and urged participants to share the knowledge and skills acquired while spreading whatever information they received.

Mr Kpodo made the call at a town hall meeting, organised by the Ada East District Assembly, in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa, to share with the people the assembly’s achievements and challenges and discuss the plans for the years ahead.

According to him, the assembly might have initiated lots of developmental projects, which the residents might not be aware of and those fora were mediums to highlight them, adding that “every assembly has its core values and principles of good governance including participation, transparency, and accountability through town hall meetings the assembly accounts to the people”.

He said local government workers were stewards taking care of resources the government had entrusted into their care and every assembly was mandated to generate both internal and external funds, which were crucial components for running its affairs.

“The external funds are statutorily disbursed by the government to the assemblies to carry out their duties and the government may increase it if the assemblies was able to generate more internal funds,” Mr Kpodo observed.

Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, the Ada East District Chief Executive, touted that the district had experienced massive development as part of efforts to enhance local governance across the country.

She indicated that she inherited seven uncompleted projects in 2017, out of which six have been completed, including a three-storey Assembly Office Complex, three Community Health Planning Service compounds, Police Station at Big Ada, and three-unit classroom blocks at Amlakpo and Alavanyo.

Other projects initiated, Ms Pobee disclosed, were construction of five Community Health Planning Service compounds, rehabilitation of recovery ward of the Ada Health Centre, construction of solar-powered mechanised water facilities, provision of potable water to six communities, construction of classroom blocks for different communities and procurement of 5,000 furniture for schools in the district.

“The assembly, in line with the vision of the government is working to ensure all planned projects and programmes for the year are carried out successfully, working on a salt processing factory, market sheds, construction of solar powered irrigation infrastructure among other measures to enhance economic activities of the people,” she stressed.