The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly has held its first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the eighth general assembly to brief members on the progress of activities and programmes by the Assembly for the first quarter of the year. In his sessional address, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah touched on the security situation in the Metropolis, staff postings and salary adjustments, revenue and expenditure performance, environmental health and sanitation, roads, education and agriculture. The Hon. Mayor in his address also spoke about the Youstart programme, local economic development, the Assemblies support to persons with disability and a tabular of status of projects being implemented by the Assembly.

Hon. Issah indicated that the security of every society is crucial to the development of all other aspects of their development and therefore pledged the Assembly’s commitment to provide the logistical support to the security agencies to enable them discharge their duties in a professional manner. He informed the house that, in the Assembly’s quest to improve the living conditions of its internally generated fund staff, it has heeded to the call of salary adjustment which ranged from 22% to 42% as approved by the General Assembly adding that the implementation began in March 2023. He expressed worry over the sanitary conditions in the Metropolis. He mentioned that in the process to encourage households to construct decent toilet facilities and reduce the cases of open defecation, the Assembly, through the European Union funded Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project would construct five hundred (500) household toilets in the metropolis this year.

The Honourable Presiding Member, John Kwesi Buckman bemoaned on the attrition rate of members of the Assembly as the next district level elections approaches. He observed that six out of ten Members of the House exits every four years and therefore, advised the Assembly Members to show more commitment to their work, maintain good behaviour and human relations which according to him, is the surest way for those who want to contest again retain their seat. He implored upon Hon. Members to be extra vigilant in their communities and ensure to report suspicious characters to the security agencies for investigations and further actions before any harm befalls the citizenry. He expressed the hope that they would continue to give their best as they go about their campaigns and as well uphold the values of local governance.
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