HEAD OF SERVICE VISITS SELECTED MMDAs IN THE WESTERN REGION

Western Region: Friday, September 2, 2022: The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur paid working visits to six (6) Assemblies in the Western Region namely, Nzema East Municipal, and Ahanta West, Elembele, Jomoro, Mpohor, and Shama District Assemblies. The visit was to provide the Head of Service with first-hand information on the performance of work by staff in these Assemblies.

Dr. Arthur commenced the visit with a courtesy call on the Hon. Regional Minister of the Western Region Dr. Okyere Darko Mensah, and later to the Metropolitan Chief Executive for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr. Abdul Mumin Issah.

The mode of engagement of staff at the various MMDAs combined an address by the Head of Service followed by an open forum during which nagging questions of staff were addressed. Among the issues raised by the HoS include the need for staff to eschew active participation in partisan politics in accordance with the ruling on political neutrality of staff of the Local Government Service (LGS) as staff who overtly participate in partisan politics risk being sanctioned. The Head of Service applauded the Assemblies visited for their performance in the 2021 Performance Contract Assessment and urged them to improve upon their standings for the current cycle. He advised them to ensure professionalism in the conduct of work.  

He cautioned against the creeping culture of indiscipline among staff and directed for the reintroduction of the biometric clocking system to curb some of these challenges and noted that Coordinating Directors must be gatekeepers.

Issues raised during the open forum revealed gaps in working conditions of staff; understaffing of some departments; non-mechanisation of Internally Generated Funds (IGF) staff; inadequate working logistics and, lack of capacity-building programmes for staff. The Head of Service noted that management will expedite action to address them.

Present during these engagements were the Chief Director of the OHLGS, Mr. James Oppong Mensah, the Regional Coordinating Director of the Western Region Mr. Frederick Agyemang, some Senior Staff of the OHLGS, as well as the Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors, and some Presiding Members of the Assemblies visited.

Posted in News.