The Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Abdulai Abubakar, who made the call, also stressed the need for the appointees to ensure that decisions they took during deliberations did not "have negative repercussions on the development of the districts and the country as a whole".

Challenges

At an orientation programme for government appointees in Bolgatanga on Monday, Alhaji Abubakar said since the introduction of the decentralisation programme in 1988, the effective functioning of the Town and Area Councils in the region had been a challenge.

Alhaji Abubakar also indicated that revenue generation and spatial development planning to curb the haphazard erection of structures were among other challenges facing the various assemblies.

He, therefore, charged the appointees to endeavour to help address those issues.

The coordinating director urged the appointees to also ensure that the various assembly meetings were consistent and not "jammed up" without following the Standing Orders of the meetings.

He intimated that the appointees should register and be part of the various sub-committees at the various assemblies where their expertise would be brought to bear on the proper functioning of the assemblies.

A resource person from the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Mr Salia Abdul-Moomen, observed that the assembly was the highest decision-making body at the local level, therefore, the appointees must ensure that the socio-economic development of the rural people was well catered for.

The event, which was organised by the ILGS, with support from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, brought together appointees from the 13 district assemblies in the region.