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Be committed to change negative perceptions- Newly recruited Local Gov’t Service Staff told
The newly recruited Local Government Service Staff in group picture with management of the service
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong has urged newly recruited local government service staff to work in the spirit of commitment to change the negative perceptions of society about the roles of assemblies in the country.
He said society has had such negative perceptions about the assembly mainly due to how some service staff performed their roles in the delivery of services to clients’ dissatisfaction.
“We are faced with the challenges of changing the negative perceptions of society about the roles of assemblies since we believe that most of us gathered here entered the public service out of a genuine desire to help make a difference,” he said.
Mr Acheampong whose speech was read on his behalf by the Eastern Regional Chief Director of the Local Government Service, Mr John Donkor, at an orientation programme held in Koforidua for recently recruited Local Government Service Staff, urged them to be committed to the job and work as a team to attain the goals and objectives of the service to change the face of the service and better serve their clients.
394 personnel were taken through the orientation to enable them adjust to their new work environment and better understand and appreciate the Local Government Service and working procedures.
The Minister stated that in contemporary times, Local authorities face pressure from clients to improve upon service delivery “by being focused, transparent, accountable, effective, efficient, professional and responsive to the needs of society,”
For that reason, he stated the need for the local government staff to live up to the expectations of key stakeholders and called on the new ones to contribute to maintaining a good reputation for the service as they represented the new face of the public service.
The Regional Minister also called on the staff of the Local Government Service to consider the service in its national essence, commit fully and remain abreast with the mechanisms associated with their work to affect the realization of the vision and mandate of the service.
“I will urge all new recruits to imbibe technical knowledge to take on their roles effectively as technocrats’ bureaucrats in the various Municipal and District Assemblies in the region,” he said.
The Regional Head of the Department of Human Resource of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Cyril Dzinyanu Xatse commended the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service for augmenting the staff strength of the region and also thanked the 33 Municipal Assemblies in the region for their continuous support.
He urged the new officers to be diligent in the discharge of their duties while they take into consideration the tenets of the Public Service professionalism.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
