ENSURE TRANSPARENCY IN DISCHARGE OF DUTIES — BEDIAKO (PAGE 15)

THE District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jaman South, Mr Julius Ata Bediako, has advised heads of departments to ensure transparency, accountability and exhibit a high sense of responsibility and integrity in the discharge of their duties.
That, he said, would promote and create a congenial atmosphere for an effective socio-economic development of the area.
Mr Bediako pointed out that the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government strongly believed in probity, accountability and transparency, and therefore, cautioned them to eschew corrupt practices and rather focus on the development agenda of the district.
Mr Bediako, who gave the advice when he interacted with the departmental heads of the district assembly at Drobo in the Brong Ahafo Region, further urged them to be disciplined and lead exemplary lives for their subbordinates to emulate.
He said the practice where some people would rush to FM stations on trivial matters was not in tune with any serious  development objectives, saying that they should not hesitate to approach one another on issues that beat their minds.
The DCE pointed out that, since he was operating an open-door policy, the heads should also feel free to educate him on any matter they were well  versed in rather than attempt to undermine his administration, saying, “Let us all see ourselves as working partners to achieve the better Ghana we are craving for”.
The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr M.M. Saani, also called for the spirit of team- work among the various departments and asked them to rededicate themselves to the programmes and policies of the new government which were geared towards the overall development of the country.
Mr Saani stressed the need for the heads to promptly submit reports on their activities so that the assembly could quickly take the necessary actions on them, and also charged them to attend their quarterly meetings to compare notes that would result in the improvement of their delivery.
In another development, the Jaman South District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, has embarked on an intensive HIV and AIDS awareness campaign, aimed at preventing the spread of the disease in the district.
The theme for the campaign is, “Know your HIV Status”.
Addressing  a mini durbar of the chiefs and people of Gonasua, the acting District Director of Health Services, Madam Grace N. Vire, noted that since the HIV and AIDS were detected in 1986, many people had suffered in various forms.
She, therefore, urged the churches, chiefs, other opinion leaders and all stakeholders to join hands in the crusade against the spread of the pandemic.
The acting director appealed to the chiefs to collaborate with the district assembly to pass a bye-law that would limit or prevent students from attending festivals and dances in the night, which she noted were the avenues of contracting the disease.
Mr Daniel Owusu-Amponsah, the Jaman South District HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, observed that, in view of the fact that the area shared a boundary with La Cote d’Ivoire, the prevalence of the disease was high, disclosing that out of 216 pregnant women screemed between January and March this year, six tested positve.