Mr. Horatio Crossfield Bruce, Assembly member of Mpintsin Electoral Area, has been adjudged the best assembly member for the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly for 2014.
Mr Bruce distinguished himself for active attendance, community engagement, and good lobbying skills to bring development to his electoral area and was awarded with a plaque and a cash promise from the STMA.
The best assembly member award scheme was instituted by Global Communities, an NGO and the Institute of Local Government Studies under its ?Inclucity? project to reward and encourage members of the selected assemblies to give off their best to their electoral areas despite the seemingly lack of motivation in doing their work.
Mr Mohammed Ali, Presiding Member of the Assembly, said the job of an Assembly member was not just ordinary as it involved lots of sacrifices and called on members to persevere and be committed to the task.
He said the assembly hoped to make the award more sustainable and attractive.
Nana Safo Kantanka of the ILGS appealed to Assembly members to effectively network with institutions and bodies who had the capacity to assist them in developing their communities.
The Award winner, through effective lobbying has, given his communities, six units classroom blocks each, three reservoir of 3000 litre capacity, renovated 16 aqua-privy water closet, solved some water situation at Mpintsin, electrification at Sofokrom and 10 laptop computers to some schools in the community.
Mr Oduro Osae, Dean of Studies and Research of the ILGS, expressed appreciation to Global Communities and Bill and Melinda Gates for sponsoring the three-year pilot project and expressed the hope that other donors would come on board in order to sustain the programme.
He said the project sought to build the capacity of Metropolitan structures and community organizations in inclusive governance, participatory planning and budgeting, and improved revenue generation.
The objectives of the project included increased constructive participation of slum residents in governance, inclusive planning and budgeting processes and increased capacity of assemblies to generate adequate revenues for development.
Mr Oduro said key challenges included governance inefficiency, deep socio economic problems and major influences in the provision of municipal services, especially to the poor and low-income populations of the city.
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