Assemblies should adopt local languages – Professor Yankah

Professor Kwesi Yankah, a minister of state in charge of Tertiary Education, has advocated that local languages be made to be used in all the district assemblies of Ghana.

According to him, that would enable all assembly members (both formally educated and non formally educated) to express themselves at the floor of the assemblies during sittings.

“What I’m saying is something on my heart, though it is not part of the president’s speech, but since I have much desire for it, permit me to say it; I suggest that if it will be possible, our local languages be made to use at the assemblies in Ghana…….one of the purposes of our local governance or decentralization is for everybody to express his or her opinion at the assembly because majority of Ghanaians are at the local level so using English language at the local assemblies will deter some people from expressing their views and opinions.

Using myself for example, you might say I understand English, yes, but I don’t value it [english], …..yes English language is not all that important to me most especially at a place where everyone must be allowed to express him or herself so please let’s make things simple for ourselves…… not what I’m saying is nobody should speak English but what I mean is that, the main purpose of the assembly is to deliberate on issues and policies that would develop the district so if a language will be a barrier for someone, why don’t we do away with it and be free?,” Prof. Yankah said in fante.



He revealed that he had sent a proposal to that effect to the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry for consideration.

The Agona East Parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made this when delivering an inaugural address on behalf of president Nana Addo Danquah Akufo- Addo during the inauguration ceremony of the eighth Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem municipal assembly in Elmina on Thursday.

The former Pro-vice-chancellor of the
University of Ghana then charged the assembly to hold stakeholder meetings occasionally in order to give opportunity for the assembly to propagate its developmental projects and policies to the people in the locality and also seek ideas from the them. This he believes would motivate the people to pay their taxes.

The Assembly Constitution

54 members constitute the KEEA assembly which is made up of 37 elected,15 appointed plus the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the Member of Parliament (MP).



Election of PM

After the successful swearing-in of the members by His Lordship James Kojo Botah, a representative of the Chief Justice, an election was conducted to elect the Presiding Member (PM).

Two persons, John Aspect Ackon, an appointee, and Philip Bosomtwe Amoah, Assembly member for Iture and Construction Pioneers(CP) earlier picked the forms to contest but the latter eventually stepped down for Aspect Ackon to go unopposed.

“Yes” or “No” election was as per law, held and after the event, he polled 49 as against 3 out of the total 52 votes cast )for one assembly member was absent).

Source: Kojo Ata Kakrah Abrowah//KAKA.Benya FM.

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Photo credit: KAKA, Okatakyi & Gifty Yamoah