The La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly in its bit to solve sanitation issues in the municipality held a meeting with it stakeholders on Tuesday 20^th February 2020 at the assembly’s conference hall, La.

The meeting which was chaired by the MCD, Mr. Daniel Nkrumah  had in attendance the municipal environmental director, the municipal planning director, the municipal director for NCCE, the municipal budget officer , the municipal information officer, assembly and unit committee members, and reps from sanitation agencies namely Zoom lion, Asadu Royal, Rapid Waste and others.

Four major areas were identified as a challenge  the municipality faces in relation to sanitation, namely primary household sanitation, street sanitation, transfer station of waste, and the disposal site of the waste.

The engagement of the stakeholder was to come out with some of the issues they face in their line of duty and come out with solutions to help solve the sanitation issues in the municipality.

The stakeholders charged the assembly to enforce the byelaws regarding to sanitation to deter the people from dumping waste at unauthorized places in the municipality.

Mr. Daniel Nkrumah the MCD assured the stakeholders that the assembly would come out with a proper waste management plant to address the sanitation issues in the municipality. He said, the assembly would get rid of hawkers on the Liberation road to keep the area clean.

The MCE together with his team visited Air Force Ghana Headquarters and meeting was held at the office of the chief of Air staff, Air vice Marshall Frank Hanson’s office. The team was privileged to have the Chief Director Air Commodore J.A Ashrifie of the ministry in their midst. Nii Maale the corporate relations officer introduced the team and the MCE. He then stated purpose of meeting which he said was to deepen the relationship between the Assembly and the organization

The chief of Air staff then took over and gave the meeting a warm welcome. He congratulated the MCE, expresses his gratitude for the invitation and meeting, he then assured the MCE that they would visit the Assembly on their next meeting. He assured the assembly of their support in the various forms notably in areas of sanitation and security. He said that he had confidence in leadership and was ready to reciprocate the act.

The MCE expressed similar sentiments and referred to the sanitation remarks made by the air force Chief about various ways which can help the Assembly deal with sanitation issues.  He also touched on the Tom and Jerry relationship that has existed between the people of La and the military and called for an improved relationship. He reminded them on the need to obtain permit from the assembly before putting up structures  in the municipality and further said, all those who have started putting up structures should get close to him in the office to enable him help them to regularize their papers and permits.

The MCE and his team were privileged with a full presentation of the operations of the Ghana Air force. He was presented with a shield and some souvenirs. After the presentation photographs were taken to mark the day.

Our next visit was the Ghana Naval base where the MCE was warmly welcomed. The MCE spoke to them and emphasized on the tenant/landlord relationship and called for a cordial relationship between the military and the people of La. He was presented with a plaque to commemorate the visit. Present at the meeting was Cadre Gl Blessing, Naval Capt Ayelanzono, Naval Capt. Osei and Cadre Ethan.

The Municipal Chief Executive for the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly Hon Solomon Nikoi Kotey on the 10^th of January 2020 break the grounds for the construction of an ultra-modern Technical and Vocational Education (T-VET) institute for the  Machinery , Mechanic Training Institute at La in the greater Accra Region.

The local firm, which is to construct the facility, is to be completed within 2 years with funds from the government of Ghana.

According to the municipal chief executive for the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, the work would be done in two phases with 12 months intermissions between each phase.

Hon Solomon Nikoi Kotey stated that the La assembly was amongst the first batch of beneficiary communities of such an intervention by the government. The MCE thanks the government for its intervention. According to him upon the completion of the project, it would put La name on the globe.

 The MCE was of the view that the facility would help shape the lives of the youth in La to acquire job related skills to compete on the job market. He stated that the assembly was in talks with the La Traditional Council and the Authorities of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) to admit some of the youth idling about into the institute to get the needed skills.

Mawusi N. Awity (Mrs) the Executive Director of the NVTI appealed to the MCE and the assembly directorate to use some of the assembly common fund to offset the fees of the trainees and also assist them with start-up capital after the completion of the their training.  She bemoaned that the NVTI does not benefit from the free education programme. Madam Mawusi urged parents to invest in their children by enrolling them in the TVET programme.

Madam Mawusi demystified the notion that TVET schools are for the unintelligent people in the society. According to her, the TVET is a field, which gives anyone the freedom to choose what he, or she wants to be in life.

Madam Juliana Nkrumah, the NVTI controller of apprenticeship said that when the project is completed it would house new classroom blocks, hostel for both female and male students, administration block, laboratory, and workshop. According to her, the NVTI programme is to address skill gabs in Ghana by upgrading and revamping vocational institutions in Ghana.

Mr Emmanuel K. Ashie, CMMTI, said the facility when completed would attract more female students due to the trade demand driven programme the institute would be running. According to him, the institute will be offering track demand programmes such as catering, dressmaking, hair dressing, to mention just a few which are mostly for the female to venture in.  The institute is operating on a slash down fee policy for female students who enrol in the institution.

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As part of a strategy to fight the influx of filth in the Municipality, The Municipal Chief Executive for the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly Reverend Solomon Kotey Nikoi has introduced a mandatory clean up exercise with a theme “CLEAN LA, GET INVOLVED”. The move is to help clean and fight the plight of dirt that has engulfed some parts of municipality.

He stated that LaDMA, especially his administration, values the health status of the people of La, hence the call for the periodic exercise.

The MCE made this known at a meet-the-press session organized by the Assembly to abreast the media on government’s developmental projects, and challenges within the Municipality.

The gathering is to abreast the media and the public of how the Assembly has localized government’s flagship projects and the extent to which programmes and projects outlined in the Medium Term Development Plan prepared in a participatory manner are implemented, and highlight programmes and projects that have been executed from 2017 to date.

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Also, to inform the public of government’s commitment to the National Development Planning Commission of creating jobs, prosperity and equal opportunities for all. This according to him a Medium Term Development Plan was formulated with citizens of La which is adopted as the blue print for development from 2018 to 2021. These programmes and projects are categorized under the following:

• Economic Development
• Social services delivery
• Environmental management
• Infrastructure delivery and management
• Management and administration.

However, the Assembly according to the MCE is slapped with series of challenged. They include

• Poor sanitation management,
• youth delinquency and its attendant problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, streetism and gambling,
• flooding due to the absence of drains and choked drains
• Ineffective land use planning and implementation.

Irrespective of the above challenges, the Assembly according to the MCE is poised to work assiduously to ensure that government’s vision for the municipality is actualized.

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The Municipal Chief Executive for the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly Reverend Solomon Kotey Nikoi has paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Police Service under the jurisdiction of the municipality. He visited the Cantonments Divisional and District Head Quarters, Airport Division, La Division, and the Police Head Quarters. The visit was to help the new MCE formerly introduce himself and create an enabling partnership environment between the Assembly and the Police services to ensure peace, security and sanity among the citizenry in municipality. The visit also paved way for the MCE to submit a number of security threat issues observed to the security agency for an immediate action. Notable ones include the destruction of students at the La Anglican School, Rangoon, Yahoshua, and other basic schools by “Wee” smokers, and other individuals who have adopted the schools for their place of convenience. The devastating aspect of these invaders is when they flaunt their illicit acts during learning period. Such constant harassment according to the MCE affects the learning process of both the students and teachers. He advised the security agency to constantly visit the various schools aside their normal daily patrol to help familiarize themselves with the students. He assured the Police of his support in ensuring that their responsibilities are genuinely executed.

The gesture by MCE was lauded by the various Divisional Heads, describing him as a kind gentle leader who has the interest of the people under his jurisdiction at heart. They prayed the MCE to help provide them with motorbikes, and pick-ups, and fuel to run their daily routines. Other salient needs include befitting staff quarters, and enough land space for their operations. Other concerns raised were the poor street lighting system in some part of the municipality that has been a major worry to the inhabitants.

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The MCE finally made a stop at the office of the Inspector General of Police James Oppong Boanuh. There, he asked that the Police actively get involved in the “CLEAN LA, GET INVOLVED” a newly cleanup introduced exercise by the Assembly to help fight the influx of dirt that has engulfed some portion of the municipality. An award system according to the MCE will be introduced to be given to the best cleaned barracks in a healthy cleanup exercise competition among them. Both the IGP and the MCE assured greater partnership to enhance the security of human life and properties in the municipality.