By:Isaac Amoah

The Presiding Member (PM) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Alfred Asiedu Adjei, has officially declared his intention to contest the presidency position in the upcoming National Association of Local Authorities Ghana (NALAG) election.

Mr. Asiedu, who was unsuccessful in the previous election, sees himself as the best candidate to lead the Association to champion the interest of all.

Hon.Alfred  Aseidu Adjei  speaking at the event.

“My interest, passion and commitment to the development of local governance is unmatched. I’m ready to lead the Association to build on the efforts of the past leaders and improve on their success stories,” he said.

A scene from the

Mr. Adjei, who was one of the key resource persons for a two-day orientation programme during the Ashanti Regional Conference of Presiding Members (PMs) held at Royal Lamerta Hotel in Kumasi last Wednesday, made the announcement after congratulating the newly elected executives of the conference.

Hon.Alfred Adjei and Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong at the event during a presentation by Dr.Henry Kwabena Kokofu.

The AMA PM seized the opportunity after witnessing the election and the swearing-in of the new executives of the conference during the orientation programme to officially declare his intention to contest the presidency of NALAG.

He, therefore, appealed for the support of the conference of Ashanti PMs which is the largest in terms of numbers.

Speaking to “The New Trust” newspaper later on, Mr. Adjei advocated for electoral area funds, capacity building, creation of NALAG regional offices across the country, etc.

He said NALAG is an internationally recognised body and there are lots of amendments to be done on Act 136.

He said, for instance, when one is voted as PM, he or she can serve for only two years, whereas when one is voted as either a president or an MP, he or she serves for four years.

Apart from that, with regard to PM election, a winner needs 2/3 of the members, including ex-officio members of the Assembly, making it very difficulty for one to win, for which reason it has to be amended.

Mr Adjei said apart from promoting members’ welfare and ensuring effective local governance, the above issues would be his immediate focus when given the nod as the next NALAG President.

The mission of NALAG per available information is to
promote good governance at the local level by strengthening institutions and emphasising inclusiveness, empowerment of members, lobbying and advocating the implementation of policies and provision of conducive environment for improved performance of local government authorities in Ghana.