The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) yesterday launched its 125th anniversary in Accra with a call on the general public to strive for sustainable development in the metropolitan region and the country at large.
The Chief Executive of AMA, Mrs Elizabeth Sackey, who made the call said AMA stood tall today because of “some visionary leaders, dedicated public servants and resilient citizens who sacrificed their time to lay the foundation.”
“We must continue our journey towards sustainable development, nurturing a city that is resilient, inclusive, and environmentally conscious. It is up to each and every one of us to contribute to this vision, to be active participants in the governance of our city, and to ensure that the next 125 years are filled with even greater achievements,” she said.
The anniversary celebration is on the theme; “125 years of local governance: Strengthening community resilience and sustainable development of the city of Accra”.
According to the mayor, the theme for the celebration had been purposefully carved out to champion the essence of building resilience cities while reminding them of the goods and services that must be delivered by the metropolitan controls and management streams.
Mrs Sackey noted that Accra had over the years transformed on the scale of global cities and remained one of the busiest in Africa as a result of the hard work of AMA.
“We empowered our communities to stand strong in the face of natural disasters, economic fluctuations, and social issues, and through effective disaster management systems, we have minimised the impact of calamities, safeguarding the lives and properties of our citizens,” she highlighted.
The mayor said local governance stood uniquely paramount in the heart of global governance as it
works hard in the design of policy that ensures it delivers the needed achievements.
“Our metropolitan efforts of addressing the concerns of the city underwent remarkable years of struggles, thoughts and hard work of planning and execution,” Mrs Sackey stated.
To be able to achieve sustainable development, the Mayor said they needed social inclusivity, economic prosperity and the preservation of cultural heritage.
She stated that as Accra was known for its rich cultural heritage, they were working together towards ensuring that their communities become a cultural destination within the West African sub-Region.
“We have put in our Medium-Term Development Plan, strategies and activities geared towards ensuring a sustainable and resilient city. Over the period, we did many tree planting activities, building green parks, introduced rooftop solar panels and collaborated with other agencies to build green houses,” she noted.
She added that AMA has partnered with the World Bank to undertake flood control measures to ensure that they forestall the challenges confronting the city.
Activities earmarked for the anniversary include awards night, symposiums, anniversary projects, clean-up exercises, health screening, Junior High School (J.H.S) quiz campaigns, electoral areas sanitation challenge, cultural displays, food bazaar and sports festivals among other things
