She said this is important “for effective and timely implementation and achievement of [the President’s] intended results.”

Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama was speaking at a 3-day retreat organised by the Office of the Head of Local Government Service. The maiden meeting is part of the annual review mechanisms of the Local Government Service.

Held for the various regional coordinating directors and directors at the office of the Head of Local Government Service, the meeting was to help the Head of Local Government Service, IMG. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, familiarize himself with the service, and also find the best possible ways to work towards achieving his vision.

Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama noted that, “government is on an economic transformation and job creation agenda through industralization, agriculture and services.”

“Accordingly, work is currently ongoing for the development of a results framework, monitoring Matrix and a comprehensive implementation plan for the new Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) that links the goals, objectives and strategies with indicators and targets. The framework will cover MLGRD’s general administrative mandate, as well as those of the sustainable development goals and government’s manifesto promises.”

She noted that, “it is therefore necessary to have your plan and government’s plan in sync, this will go a long way in achieving the vision of transforming Ghana in agriculture, industries and service.”

She also admonished the Directors to “see each other as links within the long chain of the Local Government Service. The success of the Service depends on the support and cooperation you give each other.”

The Head of the Local Government Service, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, also re-echoed the need for all directors, “to place emphasis on the six service delivery standards.”

He asked that “as role models in the service who the generality of the staff look up to, we should allow these attributes not only to permeate our value systems but also be our guiding principle, in addition to the ethics and code of conduct of the service.”

He advised also that Directors “work with utmost dedication and commitment for the rest of the staff to emulate.”

Dr. Ato Arthur hinted that, “the Office of the Heads of Local Government Service had engaged nine consultants to conduct an independent Monitoring and Verification exercise on actual performance of the Regional Coordinating Councils and the Municipal, Metropolitan, District Assemblies in 2016.”

He thus urged all “regional coordinating directors to provide the needed support to the Monitoring and Verification consultants.”

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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Create platforms to support gov’t policies – Coordinating directors urged appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Parliament passed the Local Governance Amendment bill this week which restores the President’s discretion to revoke the appointments of the 30 percent government assigns on various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.

The original bill, passed in December 2016, made the appointment of the 30 percent of state appointed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies untenable.

Hajia Mahama spoke to Citi News about the piece of legislation which she said was passed with a consensus for Minority and Majority members.

“This new local government act that was accented to on 20th December 2016, it was passed when everybody was busy with elections; it took away the discretion of the President to revoke appointments. So we have come to Parliament to restore that discretionary power of the President to revoke appointees of District Assemblies.”

“The appointed members can be described as the President’s appointees and he should have the discretion to revoke the appointments, so that is what we have done.”

“Both Minority and Majority constituted the committee and they came to a consensus that the President appoints and should have the discretion to revoke the appointment passed,” she said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Hajia Alima welcomes amended Local Governance Bill appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They are Trade Minister nominee; Alan Kyerematen , Foreign Minister nominee; Shirley Ayokor Botwey, Minister nominee for Local Government; Hajia Alima Mahama.

Energy Minister nominee; Boakye Agyarko has also been vetted.

So far, the committee has vetted ten out of the 36 nominees.

Those vetted already include Senior Minister nominee; Osafo Maafo, Finance Minister-nominee, Ken Ofori-Atta, Attorney-General & Justice Minister-nominee, Gloria Akuffo, and Minister-nominee for the Interior Ministry, Ambrose Dery.

The others are nominee for National Security Ministry Kan Dapaah and nominee for Defence Ministry, Dominic Nitiwul.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017,  Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, Education and Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Health, will appear before the Appointments committee.

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Photos: Godwin Allotey/Delali Adogla-Bessa

The post Day three of vetting: MPs grill Alan, others [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.