Over 1,400 pupils from 1^st and 2^nd cycle institutions drawn within the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality (LaDMA) participated in the Ghana’s 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebration with a parade at the forecourt of the Ghana International Trade Fair Security Car Park in La, Accra.

Cultural groups from Vision Seed Academy, Justice Nii Armah Ollennu Memorial School and Cadet bands from Services School, Aquinas SHS, Labone SHS, Bethel Hill School Band and SDA School Band thrilled the crowd with displayed. The students marched past the dais to the admiration of the dignitaries.

Making his remarks on the theme for the occasion, “Consolidating Our Gains” the MCE, Rev Solomon Nikoi Kotey said in other to achieve the ultimate theme, leaders must not attempt to sacrifice national unity for individual or little parochial interest. The MCE said such altitude would only cost the nation a big setback and posterity would not forgive this generation.

The MCE said as a nation, there was the need to bury individual differences and work together to reduce extreme poverty and achieve meaningful development.

On his part, the Municipal Director for Education paid a tribute to the founding fathers and the gallant men and women who fought for Ghana’s independence. He said, the future of the nation belongs to the youth and that called for them to be forefront of the Independence Day celebration.

He said building a better nation required discipline, hard work, and consistency to play important role for nation development. According to him, the interventions launched for the development of teacher education will ensure the professionalism of teachers and enhance their delivery in the education section. He said the programme will not only guarantee transfer of knowledge and skills to learners but will also ensure that the schools becomes centers of excellence.

The municipal education director called on parents, NGO’s, teachers unions, the private sector and learners to support the government’s vision of providing quality education. According to him the free SHS policy has allowed a lot of people who would have been left out at home to be in school and that is going to impact positively to the future of the country.

He said LaDMEO is a beneficiary of TVET Ultra-modern school complex and it is going to facilitate the acquisition of employable skills for the youth in the municipality. He appealed to the youth especially the girls to venture into TVET, as it is the future of Ghana.

A nine member Municipal Census Implementation Committee for the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) was inaugurated on Thursday 20^th February 2020 at the municipal assembly hall, La.

The committee has the municipal coordinating director (MCD), Mr. Daniel Nkrumah as the chairperson. Other members are the traditional council representative, the municipal health director, the municipal information officer, the municipal director for National Commission of Civic Education, the municipal planning officer, the municipal education director, the municipal statistics officer and the municipal census officer Mr. Nathaniel Addo as the secretary to the committee.

The Presiding Member for the assembly, Hon Emmanuel Baah, who inaugurated the committee, tasked them to ensure a successful implementation of the exercise. The mandate of the committee is to help supervise all the activities during the Pre-census stage, main census stage and post census stage.

Mr. Daniel Nkrumah who on behalf of the MCE, Hon. Solomon Nikoi Kotey addressed the committee and the assembly members underscored the importance of the 2020 Population and Housing Census. According to him, the PHC will provide a platform for an interactive dialogue between Users and Providers of official statistics in the development planning and monitoring of policies and programmes. He put emphasis on that; the outcome of the census will improve policy-making in the municipality as the importance of census data in development planning and implementation is key.

The MCE bemoans the assembly’s inability to rake in the needed revenue from the ratepayers because the assembly does not have a reliable data on the properties in the municipality and has affected it internally generated fund (IGF), thereby depriving the assembly from meeting, the developmental needs of the people.

He said as part of the efforts in mitigating the challenge, the assembly is collaborating with GIZ to revalue all properties in the municipality and at the same time building a comprehensive database to support revenue mobilization. The MCE described the 2020 PHC as a huge opportunity for the assembly to plan. According to Mr. Nikoi Kotey, the population and housing census was an indispensable tool for effective governance. Additionally, he said that the United Nations recommends that member states undertook a census every decade. The MCE urged the committee members to work harder to ensure good result since bad census would no doubt result in a wrong allocation of resources in the municipality.

The Municipal Chief Executive of the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), Hon. Solomon Kotey, has initiated visitation to the various stakeholders and organizations within the municipality. The visitation is to engage the stakeholders to strategize how both parties can work together for mutual benefits.

The MCE kicked off the program with a visit to the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) at their headquarters at the Airport City. UMB represented by facility manager Mr Tarique Sam Abakah and Mr Francis Kwesi Yeboah the Project and Programs expressed delight by the visit. Describing the visit as historic, Mr Abakah expressed the company’s desire and interest to collaborate with the assembly.

Introducing the MCE, Nii Maale Adsei, Corporate Relations Officer, LaDMA emphasized on the importance of the visit to meet all stakeholders.

“It is our desire to use this visit to introduce the MCE to our various stakeholders to enable them put a face to the name and to seek a symbolic relationship with all” .In his submission, Hon Solomon Kotey, emphasized the importance of his visit which he described as an opportunity to forge a healthy relationship between the assembly and all institutions of their Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) to the communities they operate in. “Let us establish a good relationship and see which areas we us an assembly could help your business whilst you also recognize your social responsibilities to the community”.

The MCE followed up with a visit to the Marriott International Hotel also in the Airport City Enclave where he was received to a warm reception by Mr Nino Constantinou the General Manager, Madam Grace Acheampong, Director of Human Resource and Mr Albert Hodanu, Director of Loss Prevention.

After initial pleasantries, Hon. Solomon Kotey emphasized on the Tenant/Landlord relationship existing between the Assembly and companies or institutions operating in the municipality. “My visit is to help you operate in congenial atmosphere in my municipality and my expectation that you will also be alive to your social responsibility to the community”.

Again Mr Nino Constantinuo congratulated the MCE for the bold step in visiting companies operating in the area and expressed Marriott’s readiness to partner the assembly in all endeavors.

“We would humbly appeal to you to get back to us and let us know the support you will need from us” he said.

Inaugural ceremonies for assembly and Unit committee of member MMDAs were held across the Nation on Thursday , 23^rd January 2020.

Fifteen (15) Assembly Member and Fifty(50) Unit committee member were sworn into office by her worship Juliet Osie-Deudu.as part of the inaugural ceremony, Hon.Emmanuel Nyako Baah was elected as the presiding member of the assembly after he obtained 100% of the vote cast.

In his welcome address, the municipal chief executive , Hon. Solomon Kotey Nikoi congratulated all member. He implore member to ensure they hold regular engagement with their electorates since such engagement with the people would enable them get feedback that would impact on Assembly decision making process.

Present at the ceremony were the La Traditional Council, Former Assembly and Unit committee Members, security officers, Heads of department, Former Municipal Chief Executive in the person of Hon. Rita Odoley Sowah, official from the regional coordinating council, Accra.

The inaugural speech was presented by Hon. O.B . Amoah, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development.