By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Sogakope
The South Tongu Municipal Assembly (STMA) in the Volta Region, has confirmed the President’s nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) at a well-attended ceremony at Sogakope, the administrative capital.
The Municipal Assembly, has become the first in the region to elevate its first female Presiding Member (PM) to another enviable position of the first female MCE for the party in the area and the second female political head of South Tongu since the country returned to its current constitutional democracy in January, 1993.
Madam Victoria Dzeklo, a businesswoman and a graduate teacher by profession from the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW) in the Central Region, is also the current Assembly Member (AM) for the Atravenu Electoral Area.
Out of the fifty-eight (58) valid votes cast by both the Elected and Appointed Assembly Members (AMs) at the confirmation ceremony, the nominee garnered forty-eight (48) ‘Yes’ votes representing 82.76 percent while nine (9) AMs representing some 15.52 percent objected to her confirmation bid. One ballot, accounting for some 1.72 percent was also rejected during the voting process.
The Municipal Assembly Hall, where the function took place, was full to capacity with chiefs and queen mothers, citizens of the municipality, party supporters as well as well-wishers from all walks of life.
The Regional Minister, Hon, James Gunu led a high-powered government delegation to the ceremony while the Deputy Regional Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Egypt Korbla Kudoto, led the regional party executives to the programme.
Also present were the Regional Representative on the Council of State, Gabriel Adovoe Kwabla Tanko Kwamigah-Atople, the Members of Parliament (MPs) for Keta and Central Tongu, Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey and Alexander Gabby Hottordze respectively, the former MP for the South Tongu Constituency, Wisdom Kobena Mensah Woyome, a number of the newly confirmed MDCEs, as well as supporters of the party at the grassroots level.
Soon after the declaration of the results by the Electoral Officials, the Dabala District Magistrate Court Judge, Her Worship, Ms. Lucy Dzormeku, administered to the new MCE the oaths of office, allegiance and secrecy. Madam Dzormeku administered same to the new Government Appointees before their swearing-in ceremony as AMs.
Delivering her confirmation speech, Madam Victoria Dzeklo, was grateful to the President, the NDC party as a whole, the traditional authorities as well as the AMs not only for the love and confidence reposed in her but also for their unflinching support, culminating in her eventual confirmation.
She pledged to initiate, implement and drive development in the various traditional areas to improve the lives of the people.
According to MCE Dzeklo, her tenure of office would be characterized by massive infrastructural development and the improvement in social intervention programmes anchored on the principles of accountability, transparency, fairness and inclusive governance, ensuring that all voices are heard from a deeper popular participation in local governance.
James Gunu spoke to journalists after the event which saw the successful confirmation of all the eighteen (18) nominee MDCEs of the President for the region.
He was grateful to all and sundry including the AMs and the traditional leaders in the region for their unwavering support towards the entire confirmation process.
He was also happy for the unity of purpose that characterized the process and stressed the need for the AMs and the new MDCEs to work together towards advancing the development of their areas of jurisdiction.
According to Gunu, the NDC’s agenda of resetting the region is now set to fully take off with the confirmation of all the nominees by the Assemblies.
He urged the residents of the region to support the President and the NDC party to deliver on its promises to the Volta Region in particular and Ghanaians as a whole.