A FORMER President of National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Mr. George Kyei Baffour, has urged presiding members to assert their roles, as the spirit and embodiment of the District Assembly concept suscribed.
He said presiding members had clearly defined functions, and that it was incumbent on them to move the assembly along, in making authentic resolutions.
The occasion was a meeting of the Association of Presiding Members in Kumasi yesterday, during which matters affecting their interest were brainstormed.
He has therefore called on presiding members to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the various laws regulating their functions, and pointed to Act 462, Internal Audit Agency law, Procurement law, National Development Planning law, the Local Government Service Act, as well as process and standing orders.
Mr. Baffour cautioned presiding members against being partisan, in order not to lose bearing in the execution of their developmental roles.
He said the PMs, as sole conveners of assembly meetings, had the crucial role of empowering relevant committees to deliberate on pertinent issues that are a reflection of the position of the entire Assembly.
According to him, it was an absurdity for members of an assembly to beg MMDCEs for development programmes and projects in their respective electoral areas, because they draw up programmes for the execution of the Assembly.
Mr. J. K. Assuming, Presiding Member of the Bosomtwe District Assembly, and Secretary of the union, urged the members to be abreast with the various laws, and approach issues tactically.
Nana Kofi Senyah, Chairman of the association and Presiding Member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), reminded his colleagues about the Local Government Act 462 of 1993 and sections of the Standing Orders of the Metropolitan/Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s).
Section 4 (i) Act 462, which dwells on the incorporation of the Assembly, states that “Each District Assembly shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and may sue or be sued in its own name.”
Section 64 of the Standing Orders provides that “For the purpose of sealing contracts, bye-laws agreements and other formal documents, the Common Seal, shall be cast in brass metal in round or oval shape,” while the Section 66, sub-section 2 points to the role of the Presiding Member and the Secretary of the Assembly thus, “The Presiding Member and the Secretary of the Assembly shall by their signatures, authenticate the affixing of the Common Seal.”
Following this, Nana Senyah has cautioned his colleagues about merely glossing over dubious contracts and agreements.
He said all agreements, contracts and bye laws, which did not have the approval of the General Assembly, per the Presiding Member and Secretary, as sole signatories, were not authentic, and therefore liable to revocation.
Meanwhile, the presiding members have called for the speedy implementation of the Local Service law Act 656, which was passed in 2003.
They also want offices and official secretaries provided to strengthen the execution of the responsibilities under section 27 of Act 462.
