Good Governance and Civil Responsibility

The main trust of this thematic area is to strengthen state and non state actors to more efficient and effective in their contribution to the development process. At the local level the Metropolitan Assembly comes into sharp focus.

The Structure Of The Assembly

The Metropolitan Assembly is made up of Sub Metropolitan Councils, Town Councils, as well as Unit Committees.  These Sub-District administrative structures are symbols of community participation.  They form a basis for effective distribution of infrastructural services at the Sub-District level.  Three Sub-Metropolitan offices have been established at staffed with administrative officers, accountants and revenue officers, building Inspectors, Environmental health Officers ect.. 

 The Assembly covers Five constituencies namely Shama, Sekondi, Effia-Kwesiminstim , Takoradi and Essikadu- Ketan .It is the mandate of the members of Parliament to register the interest and the concerns of the constituencies and the Metropolis at large on the floor of Parliament. The Sub-Metros, Area Councils and Unit Committees are yet to be fully resourced to ensure efficiency in public policy management and participation, decentralisation, transparency and accountability and public expenditure and asset management in public decision-making. 

In the case of Town Council only Aboadze –Aboasi Town Council is Functional. Through the support of the Community Based Rural Development Project, the Aboadze -Aboasi Town Council was supported the training and provided budgetary support for implementation of Town Council Development Plan.  The Aboadze Aboasi Town Council still lacks office accommodation, equipment and permanent personnel.

Composition of the Assembly

The Assembly is composed of 86 Members made up of 56 elected, 30 Government Appointees, 5 MPs who are ex-officio members and the Metropolitan Chief Executive.  The Executive Committee is made up of 19 members and is constituted by 3 representatives from all the Sub-Committees.  

These Sub Committees are Finance and Administration, Economic Development, Works Sub-Committee, Social Services Sub-Committee, Revenue Mobilisation, Education Sub-Committee and Environmental and Sanitation Sub-Committee. Heads of Decentralised Departments are unofficial members of the Assembly.  These are Technocrats who advise the Assembly on technical issues and are also responsible for implementation of decisions made by the Assembly.    
    
Public Information

The concerns of the Electoral areas are brought to the flour of the house by the Assembly members who are resident in the various electoral areas.  Information on programme and decisions of the Assembly are however rarely disseminated to the electorate.  Public forum covering the intents and activities of the Assembly has not been a regular feature and the populace is yet to appreciate the direction of the development being carried by the Assembly. The Assembly members are not given any financial support for community mobilisation. 

This financial support had always been demanded but no concrete measure had been taken to address the issue. The Complaint Committee of the Assembly addresses cases covering misapplication of community assets, misbehaviour by Assemblymen as well as abysmal performance of Technocrats.  These avenues that exist for redress of public issues are however unknown to a large section of the populace.
    
Public Relations

The Public Relations Unit of the Assembly performs the duty of relaying information from the Assembly to the public.  It arranges press coverage and also reacts to media reports.  An airtime for direct public interaction with the Metropolitan Chief Executive and the Heads of department has been instituted on some of the local Frequency Modulation Stations.  The Metro Chief Executive and official frequently engage in radio discussions where opportunity us given to the public to asked questions on Assemblies policies and programmes.  

The Public Relations Unit has no well equipped library for references and does not have the full complement of staff. The public relation function of the Assembly has however improved due to increased engagement with various media houses. The public reception has been equipped with phone facilities, provided with television and air condition. Visitors thus now wait comfortably in the reception until they have the chase of meeting the officers they have come to transact business with .The room is however poorly furnished with worn out carpets and old curtains.  Interestingly reading materials for visitors are also absent.

Public Image

The image of the Assembly as the highest political and administrative body in the District and the local seat of Government are yet to be appreciated. In the pas, not much has been done to inform or educate the public on the functions and performance of the Assembly hence the Assembly’s low public image.  The Public Relations unit is being strengthened and equipped to play a more effective role in the Assembly’s dealings with the public.  Service delivery is also being improved to make the necessary impact.

Metropolitan Works Department

The Department is headed by the Works Engineer who among his numerous schedules ensures the over all management and administration of the Department. In other words, he co-ordinates the activities of the various sections of the Department.The Engineer is also responsible for the issuance of Building Permits after development applications have gone through both the Metropolitan Technical and Planning Committees.

The Works Department presently has five (5) sections under it which provide different services. The sections are as follows:

1.    Building Inspectorate
2.    Maintenance
3.    Engineering
4.    Quantity Surveying 
5.    Estates
Building Inspectorate Section   

The Building Inspectorate Unit, until quite recently when 7No. staff were transferred to other districts within the Region, had a total number of 21 officers controlling physical development within the Metropolitan area. In all, the metropolis has been zoned into districts where each of the inspectors has been assigned to a district for monitoring. They (the inspectors) have been mandated to submit by-weekly reports on the situations the ground at their respective areas for the attention of management. Where developments are wrongly sited or do not have building permits, appropriate sanctions are brought to bear on the offending developers.

Maintenance Section          

The main function of the maintenance unit as the name implies is the maintenance of structures such as schools, government bungalows/quarters hospitals, markets, street lighting etc.
The staff strength at the unit is 31No. which includes the Head. The workers include mason, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, welders, gardeners, labourers, messengers and excavator operator. From time to time the tradesmen and artisans are trained to improve their skills. They are also appraised for promotion purposes.       

Engineering Section

This unit houses both Civil and Electrical Engineers who work on working drawings of the development projects to be undertaken by the Assembly.They also assist the Metropolitan Engineer in the supervision of all the development projects being executed by contractors, and to ensure that work is done to specification.
Again they prepare weekly progress reports on the projects through the Metropolitan Engineer for the attention of management. 

Quantity Surveying Section   

The unit’s main duties are:

• Preparation  of Bill of Quantities for contract tenders and direct labour and renovation works

• Assist the Tender Evaluation panel in the evaluation of bids and make recommendations for award of contract.

•  Preparation of payment certificates for contracts executed after paying visits to construction sites.

• Calculation of building permit fees for developers.

Estates Unit

The unit provides support for the effective functioning of the Works Department. Some of the duties it performs are to prepare inventories of government properties in the Assembly and also prepare reports on expenditure made for maintenance of government properties.