The Northern Region's top spot in the league table for open defecation-freeness (ODF) belongs to the Yendi Municipal Assembly.
The purpose of the recently introduced league table is to persuade communities to stop using open defecation.
Among the 15 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAS) in the area, the Yendi Municipality raised its ODF coverage from 170 villages in 2020 to 186 communities in 2021, making it the municipality with the most coverage.
Alhaji Hammed Abubakar Yussuf, the chief executive of the Yendi Municipal Assembly, made this announcement during his sessional address during the assembly's first ordinary meeting, which took place in Yendi.
Alhaji Yussuf stated that the accomplishment was made possible in large part by the involvement of the Assembly Members, particularly those from rural areas, highlighting the importance of their achieving ODF status.
He said that to allow the people to continue upholding their ODF statutes, intense sensitization on hygiene and sanitation practises will be conducted via multiple channels.
He added the District Sanitation Fund, which would be run as a revolving fund to give loans to people and homes for the building of domestic toilets, had received $20,000 from the assembly.
monetary receipts
Alhaji Yussuf said that the assembly had received GH250,475 as the 2021 District Assemblies Common Fund's fourth quarter allocation.
He stressed that the results over the last two years had not been promising, claiming that the assembly could only raise GH 570.304 in domestically produced cash, or just 67% of the desired GH 851,000.
He stated that the assembly was expected to bring in GH581,510 this year, but by the end of May 2022, they had only realised GH291,606, or 33.93% of the objective.
Hussein Abdul-Karim, the assembly's presiding member, urged Mohammed Akalifa, the coordinator director, and the chief executive to expedite the registration of the motorbikes given to assembly members so that they could carry out their responsibilities successfully.
Mr. Abdul-Karim claimed that because the motorcycles were unregistered, there was miscommunication between the owners and law enforcement, and that it would be challenging to find any of the stolen bikes.
He also urged the assembly to arrange at least one refresher course for assembly members so that they would be familiar with the assembly's standing rules and local government laws, such as the Local Government Act of 2016.
He said that this would not only improve discussion at assembly sessions but also result in wise judgments.
He voiced worry over how heads of departments did not physically attend assembly sessions to provide their professional advice on matters pertaining to their areas.
Father Thaddeus Kuusah, the executive secretary of the Northern Regional Peace Council, said they were working with Creative Associate to increase the knowledge of extremist activities among executive committee members of assemblies in Yendi, Karaga, Tatale, Zabzugu, and Saboba.
Since radicals have long been a topic of conversation, he asserted that there cannot be growth without peace and advised the people to remain watchful and report any questionable individuals they come across.