Kofiagyepong
18 November 2008
The Presiding Member (PM) of Effutu Municipal Assembly in the Central Region, Mr. Alex Afenyo Markins has called on his colleague PMs to get involved in ensuring a peaceful election.
He said, "No one knows our communities more than we do...we have lived with the people and we know their behavior... We are the only people who can maintain peace in our area... so let us always be at the centre of ensuring peace," he said.
Mr. Markins was speaking in an acceptance speech when he was retained in an election by the assembly over the weekend.
"In less than 21days, Ghana is going to elect the next president with 230 Members of Parliament. It is our duty to ensure peaceful elections in our various electoral areas. Though some of us belong to various political parties, it is equally important that we ensure peace," he said.
Mr. Markins said, "I charge you to be decorous and magnanimous in actions and inactions that would help promote peace."
The retained Presiding Member, who was sworn into office by Mr. Benjamin Bennett Attapra, Effutu Municipal Magistrate, told the people of the assembly that irrespective of their political affiliations, their expressions of grievances must be decorous.
Touching on the chieftaincy disputes at Winneba, which he said is one of the factors thwarting development, Mr. Markin said the problems were far from over, and that the members must take issues of Winneba into their hearts for progress in the area, in terms of development, instead of taking entrenched positions.
The PM, who polled 23 out of 23 votes at the election scoring 100%, appealed to all the members to relegate chieftaincy conflicts to the background for the speedy transformation of Winneba, and asked them to reconsider issues, and fight for things in the right direction to develop and move the Effutu Municipality forward.
He said said his administration would ensure active participation of all members in the decision making process.
Transparency in the award of contracts, he said, would be employed to the extent that no contract would be awarded to a non-existent company, to retard the development initiative of the municipality.
Urging all assembly members to live up to expectations, he said, "Let the people who elected us enjoy their benefits. Let us be patriotic for mother Ghana."
He promised the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), that his administration would offer constructive criticism, aimed at moving the development of the municipality forward and pledged his unflinching support for the MCE. He would do everything within his jurisdiction, he said, to ensure the smooth running of the affairs of the assembly.
At the close of nominations as his tenure was over, no member filed to contest his position. All the members voted 'Yes' for Alex Markins to continue with his work.
The NDC assembly members described the PM as one who had the MCE at heart, and had played his role as a patriotic citizen, hence their decision to support him wholeheartedly.
The MCE, Mr. Gharney, commended the PM for his innovations in the previous regime, and said he was of the view that the PM would continue to cement the good relationship that was blowing among the different factions.
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