Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament has counselled Presiding Members (PMs) and District Assemblies against making partisan decisions at the local level to the detriment of the country’s security. He said, ‘As we approach an election year, we must strive to avoid partisan decision-making at the local level that favours one political party against the other.’ He stated that partisanship threatened the autonomy and independence of local government administration. The Speaker said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, at the National Conference of Presiding Members. The conference took place in Tamale where PMs across districts in the country assembled to talk through issues pertaining local government. The theme for this year’s conference was: ‘The Role of Local Authorities in Ensuring Public Safety: The Business for All’. Speaker Bagbin urged PMs to take into consideration the volatile nature of elections to make decisions that would not compromise public security as the election season approached. He reiterated that by safeguarding the integrity and apolitical nature of district assemblies, efficiency and effectiveness could be enhanced in serving the safety needs of local communities.

Source: Ghana News Agency