Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the mayor of Accra, has joined Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from all over the nation for a three-day orientation and training program designed to improve local governance, leadership, and policy execution.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs is organizing the program in partnership with the Office of the President. It began Wednesday at the Institute of Local Government Studies and aims to promote capacity building, policy alignment, and knowledge sharing.
Mayor Allotey told reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony that the training was “timely and crucial,” particularly because several assemblies were preparing to undertake flagship projects and renewed mandates.
“This orientation is a strategic opportunity to harmonise our roles as Chief Executives of our local areas with the national development agenda,” he stated.
“For me, as Mayor of Accra, this comes at a time when we are rolling out major initiatives in sanitation, digitised enforcement, and infrastructure under our new vision for the city,” he added.
“Accra cannot develop in isolation. The spillover effects of waste, transport, housing, and economic migration are regional, and platforms like this help us align on solutions,” he said.
The mayor also emphasized the value of sister city and assembly cooperation, pointing out that the training provided a special opportunity to share experiences and gain insight from the achievements and difficulties of other districts.
Hon. Allotey reiterated his resolve to use the program’s lessons to further reestablish Accra as a “capital city that is resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking.”
As part of the government’s agenda for local development, he revealed that he would shortly be putting into action the Green Accra Initiative, the Mayor’s Special Ball, the Special Weekend Trading Initiative, the establishment of the A.M.A. City Authority Guards, the introduction of a 24-Hour Ticketing Cycle, the 24-Hour Clean Accra Initiative, and a comprehensive Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program for infrastructure improvement and urban redevelopment.
The Mayor clarified that the Mayor’s Special Ball sought to raise money for important infrastructure, education, health, and sanitation projects through public-private cooperation, while the 24-Hour Clean Accra Initiative sought to implement a three-shift sanitation system and waste segregation to ensure ongoing cleanliness and job creation.
The A.M.A. City Authority Guards were formed to strengthen bylaw enforcement and protect public spaces, he added, adding that the Special Weekend Trading Initiative institutionalizes designated vending days and spaces to promote lawful, organized trading and reduce congestion.
“This is a new chapter for Accra; the reset has begun,” the Mayor concluded.
He went on to say that the 24-Hour Ticketing Cycle would use digital tools to monitor and enforce the city in real time, increasing income and compliance.
He declared that the Green Accra Initiative would be implemented to improve urban greening, biodiversity, and air quality as part of climate threat mitigation measures.
The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative will support this endeavor by promoting extensive infrastructure redevelopment, such as transportation terminals and markets, through strategic partnerships with the private sector.
Source: newsthemegh.com