On the month of August 18th, 2023, Atiwa East District Assembly had an unannounced visit from the Eastern Regional Chief Director of the ERCC. Purpose of the visitation was to meet and address vital issues arising within districts across the country of which Atiwa East District is inclusive. The meeting was held at the AEDA Assembly Hall at 11:30am.

The Eastern Regional Chief Director Mr. Samuel Donkor made a presentation after the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Shakil Kpedua Mahamoud on behalf of the DCE, Honourable Kwabena Panin Nkansah, and the staff welcomed the Eastern Regional Director. The Chief Director, in his presentation stated clearly that, Office of the Head of Civil Servant has mandated every Regional Chief Directors across the country to make visit to every district found within their jurisdiction with the purpose to meet and address the vital issues arising within districts across the country. Indicators to these vital issues stated by the Chief Director were attendance, generating of report, functionality of client unit, staff attitude towards work and authorities, revenue generation, staff leave, endorsement of letter, sanitation of the district premises, NHIS, Pension scheme from CLOSAG and SSNIT, conducting of management meetings, functionalities of district sub-structures and others.

To the Staff attitude, in his presentation elaborated on how some of the officers talk to the DCE and DCD so badly with an unpleasant and unacceptable words for which he witnessing such behavior on his visit to one of the districts. In addition to this said that, some of the officers have develop a culture of improper dressing which imprint negative impression about the district as a whole and the officers as well.

The Chief Director in his presentation made it clear that, the conducting of management board meeting is only centered and is not bringing the sense of involvement of other departmental heads which is one of the parameters of hindering the goals of the district.

To the district sub-structures functionalities not clearly seen which is one of the topical issues and dear to heart of the sector leads, the Regional Minister, and Office of the Head of Civil Servant. Reason to this was that, the sub-structures at the district level are the heads of the people at the rural and urban areas by election representing the assembly as a whole to aid execute the plans of the assembly towards to the assembly target goals. He went ahead to use the function of the unit committee in various communities as an example in aiding the assembly in revenue generation because they actually know the state of the habitation and how revenue can be generated effectively from the people within that community. So, if these sub-structures are not functioning as expected, then the goals achievement will be hindered.

Conducting of Staff Durbar was the next emphasis in his presentation and went ahead to elaborate on the important of it. The very few words said about the staff durbar was a platform where staffs freely address their issues with open minded to the hearing of the authorities. He ended his words with “ most of the district assembly not involving cleaners and other non-staff, and not to talk of their voice being heard by the authorities “.

To the Sanitation of the district premises, congratulated the DCE and DCD for a job well done. Reasons for this said by the Chief Director was that, most of the districts he had visited does not have good sanitation in respect to damage of building walls, lawns not kept cleaning, undammed rubbish sited at the back of the assembly and many more.

Next on the indicator was disclosure of sensitive information said by the Chief Director during his presentation. Reason to this was that, some of the officers are found disclosing information that are not meant for public consumption and are meant for district daily activities for which is not the best. For the disclosure of such information to the public have the potential of causing chaos to the public and edge the district assembly to desist from it immediately.

Again, the Chief Director in his presentation made a big concern about team work and revenue generation. A notice was served to him said by the Chief Director about district officers from one department fighting with other officers in another department because the officers at the second department are now doing the core functions of the first department in addition to their primary core functions. However, collaborating to work in handy to achieve a common goal was the best for both departments to do. For the revenue generation, the government has instructed the GRA to do the collection of revenue on behave of the district assembly via electrical platforms. Reason to this said by the Chief Director is to reduce to the barest minimum of pointing hands to the DCE and DCD for not doing their job very well, and political agenda impression perceived by the people. In addition, he said, the GRA is now recruiting and training National Service personnel on the use of the various available payment platforms and deploy them to the various communities across the country to help the uneducated ones to use the available payment platforms in revenue mobilization such as the property rate and others.

Next on the indicator was staff on leave and signing of official letters. The Chief Director made an emphasis that indicator saying, a schedule is always prepared for staff going to go on leave but the implementation is so poor. He edges the staff to go on leave on emergency bases, educational bases, when the working payload is small and not when there is much activities. Leave must be on batches as an advice to the staff of Atiwa East District Assembly from his past experiences and not the full package at a goal. Getting rest is very necessary for the body in health wise. To the signing of official letters, all letters should be done by the District Coordinating Director for the District Chief Executive and not by the officer in charge, for these were his last words for this indicator.

The office of the Head of Civil Servant said by the Chief Director has implemented a parallel health scheme for all staffs under local government and civil servant for which 5% out of the Government Machinery Allowance will be deducted from salaries to cater for sevier health issues for their staffs. Reason for this said by the Chief Director was that, the NHIS is not catering for these Sevier health conditions such as cancer and others, and that a staff under CLOSAG died due to cancer in the course of service. For this reason and others, the Office of the Civil Servant implemented the parallel health scheme. For this is the reason for the tier 3 was his last words for this indicator.

The last indicator the Chief Director made emphasis on was the proposal made to dedicating an office within every district for nursing mothers and to employ a care-taker to take good care of them and not bring and leave them in the offices to make noise to disturb others within the district premises during working period.

The District Coordinating Director in the person of Mr. Shakil Kpedua Mahamoud made a very quick preliminary observations to addressed the Regional Chief Director on behave of DCE and the entire staff of Atiwa East District Assembly in responds to the indicator issues. The DCD in his presentation stated that, the staff of Atiwa East District Assembly are highly cooperative and are in good behaviour. Next was the revenue mobilization and the district sub-structures, he said that, the assembly has 4 area councils and are full functioning to the expectation, including aiding in the revenue mobilization, and maintenance culture in their respective jurisdiction for which is managed by budget, finance inclusive. To the attendance, he responded that, the assembly is not using the clock in-out machine rather using a book for attendance and will migrate to the clock in-out machine in no time soon. In addition to this the staff are very punctual. To the client service unit, an officer has been trained for that and acting professionalism. Attitude of staff is 98% as witness by the Chief Director himself as he entered into the district premises unannounced. To the management meeting indicator, the assembly will include other heads of department. Staff durbar is organized quarterly of which cleaners are inclusive. Sometimes we use the durbar for orientations. Team work of staff is marvelous. Staff leave implementation is fully and properly executed. To the signing of official letters, is something that has been going on but we will resolve that issue.        

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