The West Gonja Municipal Assembly in the Savannah region has on Wednesday, 16th November,2022 held the Assembly’s third ordinary session of the 8th Assembly of the Municipal Assembly to discuss the Assembly’s Action plan and to subsequently approve the Assembly’s composite budget for the year, 2022.
In a welcome address, the presiding member for the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Mumuni welcomed the honorable members to the third ordinary session of the assembly which was scheduled to enable the house discuss their action plan and subsequently approve the composite budget of the Assembly for the year 2023 which he urged the honorable members to critically examine and make the necessary inputs before it’s approval.
He used the occasion to called on Hon. members to continue educate their electorates on the dangers of indiscriminate bush burning as the approach the dry season in order prevent the burning of farm produce and also called on the Municipal Security Council to be on the high alert to stop group hunting activities carried out by hunters believed to becoming from Tamale and it’s environs adding that, their activities has the potentials of causing insecurity in and around Damongo and Savannah Region at large because the perpetrators carry with them guns and ammunitions aiding them to kill domestic animals and the burning of farm produce and farms.
The Hon. Presiding member also made an appeal to the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) to liaise with the Regional Security Council (RESEC) to strengthen the police barrier before Yapei from coming from Tamale to stop the hunters from entering Savannah region since they come through that stretch by means of motorbikes and vehicles to carry out their hunting activities.
The MCE for the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari in an address explained that, the essence of the Assembly’s regular ordinary sessional meeting is with the over – riding objective to review and appraise their performance so as to put in place effective strategies to overcome their challenges in order to realize their development goals.
Reporting on Peace and Security, Hon. Musah said the municipality has been largely peaceful without major security challenges aside thefts and petty burglary.
He also reported that, the performance of the Municipal Assembly in it’s internal revenue generation as at the third quarter of the year 2022 is not encouraging as compared to the target set, an indication he said the Assembly stand not achieving it’s revenue target for the year and called on the Hon. Assembly members to come to terms with the revenue officers in the issues surrounding revenue collection in the municipality to address the situation.
He explained that, the Assembly needs clear lines on which revenue items that should be ceded to the Sub – structures and those that the Assembly needs to take up as their responsibility in their revenue mobilization adding that, they may have to come out with a league table on revenue performance of the various Sub – Structures so that collectively they can give incentives for performance to encourage a healthy competition among the Sub – Structures.
The Hon. MCE revealed that, the Municipal Assembly collected Ghc 145,862.00 representing 21.68% of the estimated amount of Ghc 672,845.00 for the year 2022 which indicates that the performance of revenue mobilization needs a completely new strategy in order to meet the increasing recurrent expenditure and budgetary provisions of the Assembly.
He further added that, the Assembly is keeping to it’s hopes on an intervention of GIZ which is bound to support the Assembly in the collection of data on properties and businesses so as to be able to serve bills electronically and that, the Assembly is also considering a proposed cattle market in the Busunu area to help improve business activities in the municipality and thus increase their revenue mobilization if implemented.
On the issues of Education, the West Gonja MCE said the policy direction of the NPP government is tilting towards a system that empowers students to obtain employable knowledge and skills in which regard, the municipal Assembly is constructing a 3 Unit classroom block with furnishing and a KVIP in Damongo to enable the municipality start a Vocational school, a project the MCE said is progressing as scheduled and will be completed soon to enable students enroll onto the TVET education policy of the Government.
Talking on water and Sanitation, Hon. Musah disclosed that, the Assembly has awarded a contract for the drilling of Boreholes at Yagbonkura, Kananto, Larabanga police station and Gbatalkura all in the West Gonja Municipality and the contractor mobilized to move to site.
He also said the municipal capital is challenged with the management of refuse dump at some public container sites which the Assembly is looking out for the best solution possible to ensure the refuse are evacuated adding that, the Assembly through the Environmental health unit targeted ten (10 ) communities for the 3rd quarter 2022 and have been able to achieve in the following six (6) communities; Kpiri, Kamachelekura, frafraline No. 2, Bonbonto, Seyiri and Achulokura with support from World Vision Ghana.
The Assembly’s third session meeting was attended by heads of departments in the municipality.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243521604
