NALAG acquires own office

The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) has inaugurated its new office complex at Okponglo, behind the Gulf House in Accra.

The association had operated from rented offices until it started the construction of its own offices in 2006. Opong-Fosu

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, described NALAG as an important stakeholder in the country’s decentralisation  process.

He said the paradigm shift in Ghana’s decentralisation process underpinned the need to support NALAG to deliver effectively and efficiently to promote good governance.

According to the minister, the active lobbying and advocacy played by NALAG over the years had yielded tremendous results.

In spite of that, he said, the public expectation was that the association continues to do more for the good of the country.

He urged NALAG to strategically position itself to adequately link up with its affiliates globally to enable it to achieve the expected goals locally and internationally.

Mr Opong-Fosu urged members of the association to take opportunity of the services that the facility provided to be well informed on international best practices.

In an address, the Interim Chairman of the National Executive Council (NEC), Na Abubakar Abdrahaman, said NALAG’s potential was enormous and could be tapped to the fullest, if it had the needed human and material resources. Background

The acting General Secretary of NALAG, Ms Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the association first purchased a plot of land in Tema for the construction of the new office building but they had to relocate the office to Accra.

She said to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, a resolution was passed at the 11th delegates onference of NALAG in 1999 to have two per cent of each assembly’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund deducted at source to finance the project.

According to her, that noble idea remained on the drawing board and successive councils of the association negotiated and lobbied for the implementation of the idea and approval was finally given by Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu,  then Minister of Finance.