President Kufuor has asked chiefs and people in the newly created districts to ensure accountability by electing selfless and disciplined assemblymen to serve in the assemblies. He said it was by electing people with good leadership qualities as assembly members that the assemblies could become effective and live up to expectation. District Assemblies in the country have come under intense criticism over allegations of corruption which is attributed inefficiency on the part of assembly members. The president made the call when he received separate delegations from the Birim South and the Offinso Traditional Area at the Castle, Osu. They were there to show appreciation to the government for creating for them new District Assemblies as well as the numerous development projects they had benefited from. The delegation of the Birim South District was led by Mr Felix Owusu Adjepong, a Member of Parliament (MP) and former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. That of Offinso was made up of the Omanhene, Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, MP for Offinso North, Dr Owusu Achaw Duah, MP for Offinso South, and some sub-chiefs of the traditional area. President Kufuor said the Constitution provided for decentralisation and that the creation of the new districts was to give meaning to that. He said the exercise was carried out by the government based on merit and gave the assurance that the districts would be supported with the needed resources to make them functional. President Kufuor said he was happy that the people were acknowledging the good works of the government. Nana Kodan had earlier enumerated various development projects provided in the Birim South by the government, citing classroom blocks and other educational infrastructure, health facilities and the school feeding programme, which he said had led to increase in enrolment. He appealed to the President to appoint for them a District Chief Executive as soon as possible. At the turn of the Offinso delegation, Nana Wiafe Akenten said they were grateful for having had their fair share of development. Offinso now has two districts, Offinso Municipality and the Offinso North District Assembly and this certainly would enable the area to receive more financial resources from the Central Government for development, he said. Source: GNA