YOU ARE SERVANTS ...Not Lords, President tells his ministers (LEAD STORY)

Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh
& Kweku Tsen, Koforidua

PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has asked regional ministers to come up with an effective monitoring and accounting system to ensure that funds released to the various district assemblies for development projects and other initiatives are judiciously managed.
That, he stated, would not only avert the situation where such funds were mismanaged as was the case during the previous administration but would also make it possible for the successful execution of projects and programmes to improve the lot of Ghanaians.
The President made the call when he addressed the maiden conference of regional ministers in Koforidua yesterday.
The three-day conference is on the theme, “The Role of the Regional Minister in the New Policy of a Better Ghana”.
President Mills said a cursory examination of the accounts of some of the district assemblies had revealed considerable mismanagement of funds by those who were previously in charge of them and that it was only the judicious application of such funds that would accelerate the development of the communities.
That, the President stated, would improve the life of the people, who, in return, would show appreciation by voting to retain the NDC in power at the 2012 general election.
He said regional ministers must know that they were servants but not lords and must show humility, competency, and transparency in the use of funds meant for the people because at the end of their four-year period they would have to account for their stewardship.
President Mills stated that government officials must be upright in their doings and warned that he would not hesitate to take disciplinary measures against any of such persons found wanting.
Rebutting allegations that he had been slow in taking decisions, the President said everything was on course for a better Ghana and that he would not rush to make mistakes, since some of such mistakes would be difficult to correct.
He submitted that it was unacceptable for his critics to expect him to fulfil his campaign promises within a seven-month period, saying that a lot had already been accomplished for the total development of the country.
With regard to the improvement of the local government system, he stated that steps were being taken in that respect, adding that preparations were in progress for a broad national stakeholder’s consultation to review 20 years of the district assembly concept.
President Mills asked the regional ministers, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and assembly members to always be in touch with the people to know their needs.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, said the ministry would be implementing some selected programmes such as resourcing the newly created district assemblies some of which, he stated, were only created by the previous administration without adequate provisions for the much needed resources to administer them.
Mr Yieleh Chireh, who dwelt extensively on various aspects of the local government system, expressed his appreciation to the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) for its continued support for the system.
In his welcoming address, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, enumerated the economic potentials of the region and expressed the hope that the meeting would afford the regional ministers the opportunity to share ideas on topical issues and collectively fashion out strategies to build a better Ghana.
The Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre (Prof.) Oti Boaten, chaired the function.