The Managing Director of the State Transport Company (STC), Nana Akomea has said that efforts should be made to make Assembly Members highly influential in the society.
He explained that if they become very influential, people will go to them to solve their problems at the local level.
It is when people realize that the assembly members can solve their problems at the local levels that they will want to take part in their elections.
Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 on Tuesday, December 19, the former Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South said “I believe that let us look at the architecture and bring the assembly person, make them more influential so that people will recognize the assembly members as useful. When you have that people will then go to them with their issues and, people will then take a better interest in their elections. That is what I think we should do for now.”
Ghanaians are currently voting in the district-level elections to elect assembly and unit committee members.
The commission urged all Ghanaians to fully participate in the exercise.
Addressing the press in Accra on Monday, December 18, the Chair of the Commission Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa said “Experience over the years shows that this election is not highly participated in. Let us make this election meaningful.
“We are all aware that developments start at the district level and therefore it is important that as citizens, we have a say and a stake in who brings development to our various districts.”
The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, also made a similar appeal to Ghanaians.
“We know the turnout for district-level elections in the country in previous years has been extremely low, but we are targeting at least 50 percent turnout this time around and we want all, irrespective of party affiliation, to go to the polls in their numbers on the day to cast their ballot,” he told TV3.
