IN exercise of the functions conferred on the Provisional National Defence Council by sub-section (1) of Section 14 of the Volta River Authority Act, 1961 (Act 46) this Instrument is made this 30th day of May 1989.

1.  The Volta River Authority is hereby constituted the local authority for the township of Akosombo comprising the area specified in the Certificate of Title relating to Akosombo, No. 1747/1961 dated 10th July, 1961.

2.  (1) Notwithstanding paragraph 1 of this Instrument, and for the avoidance of doubt, the Asuogyaman District Assembly established under the Local Government (Asuogyaman District Assembly Establishment) Instrument, 1989, (L.I. 1431) shall include persons representing the electoral areas of the Akosombo township who shall be elected directly by the electorate in accordance with regulations made in that behalf of the National Commission for Democracy.

(2) For the purpose of election to the Assembly, the Akosombo township shall be divided into the electoral areas specified in the First Schedule to the Local Government (Asuogyaman District Assembly) (Establishment) Instrument, 1989, (L.I. 1431).

3.  (1) Except otherwise provided in this Instrument, the volta River Authority shall in  

      relation to the Akosombo Township perform the functions conferred on District

      Assemblies by the Local Government Law, 1988 (P.N.D.C.L. 207).

(2) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph, the Volta River Authority shall perform the functions specified in the Schedule to this Instrument.

4.  (1) The Volta River Authority shall not exercise any political authority in relation to the township of Akosombo.

(2) In this paragraph, “political authority” means any authority exercised by the local authority in pursuance of general political guidelines or directives issued by the Council and includes specifically guidelines and directives on the organisation, structure, functions, operation and supervision of the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution and other organs of the Revolution.

5.  (1) For the avoidance of doubt, the Volta River Authority shall be the rating, licensing and fee charging authority for the Akosombo township:

Provided that the Authority shall not impose any rates or charge any fees in the Akosombo township lower than those charged by the Asuogyaman District Assembly in respect of similar properties, services facilities, licences, or permits in the Asuogyaman District.

(2) The Volta River Authority shall make annual payments of such amounts to the Asuogyaman District Assembly as the Council may, on the recommendation of the Secretary, determine.

(3) The amounts referred to in sub-paragraph 91 of this paragraph shall be in respect of all rates, fees, and other revenues or monies levied, charged, raised or received by the Volta River Authority in relation to the functions conferred on it under paragraph 3 of this Instrument.

6.  Any amount collected by the Volta River Authority in respect of basic, property or other rates or any other local authority revenue and lodged in any account before the coming into force of this Instrument shall be shared between the Volta River Authority and the Asuogyaman District Assembly in such proportion as the Council may, on the recommendation of the Secretary, determine.

7. In this Instrument, unless the context otherwise requires —

     “Council” means Provisional National Defence Council;

     “Secretary” means Provisional National Defence Council Secretary responsible for Local Government.

8. The Volta River Authority (Akosombo Township) Instrument, 1963 (E.I. 106) is hereby revoked.

S C H E D U L E

 

FUNCTIONS OF THE VOLTA RIVER AUTHORITY IN RESPECT OF THE TOWNSHIP OF AKOSOMBO

It shall be the duty of the Assembly —

1. To promote and safeguard public health and for this purpose the Ministry of Health shall assign Medical Officers of Health, health inspectors and other staff appropriate except semi- skilled and unskilled laborers to the District Assembly for the proper discharge of this duty.

2.  To cause the District to be inspected regularly for the detention of nuisance or any condition likely to be offensive or injurious to health.

3. If satisfied that any nuisance or any condition likely to be offensive or injurious to health exists, to cause all proper steps to be taken to secure the abatement of the nuisance or the removal of the condition.

4.  To ensure the provision of adequate and wholesome supply of water throughout the entire District in consultation with the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation.

5.  To establish, install, build, maintain and control public latrines, lavatories, urinals and wash places.

6.  To establish, maintain and carry out services for the removal of night-soil from any building and for the destruction and treatment of such night-soils.

7. To establish, maintain and carry out services for the removal and destruction of refuse, filth and carcasses of dead animals from any public or private place.

8.  To regulate any trade or business which may be noxious or injurious to public health or a sources of danger to the public or which otherwise it is in the public interest to regulate.

9. To provide for the inspection of all meat, fish, vegetables and all other foodstuffs and liquids of whatever kind or nature intended for human consumption whether exposed for sale or not; and to seize, destroy and otherwise deal with all such foodstuffs or liquids as are unfit for human consumption and to supervise and control the manufacture of foodstuffs and liquids of whatever kind or nature intended for human consumption.

10. To provide, maintain, supervise and control slaughter-houses and pounds and all such matters and things as may be necessary for the convenient use of such slaughter-houses.

11.  To prevent and deal with the outbreak or the prevalence of any disease.

12.  To prevent and spread of and exterminate testse-fly, mosquitoes, rats, bugs and other vermin.

13.  To prohibit or regulate the making of burrow-pits or other excavations.

14.  To establish and maintain cemeteries.

15.  To provide crematoria where in the opinion of the Assembly it is expedient so to do.

16.  To regulate or prohibit the sinking of wells and provide for the closing of wells.

17. To establish, maintain and control pounds, seize and impound any stray animal and provide for the payment of compensation for damage done by such animal

18. To provide that the owner or occupier of any land or tenements maintain, clear and keep free from vegetation, the roads, streets or paths adjoining his land or tenements.

19.  To provide for the control, destruction and licensing of dogs

20.  To provide for the control, regulation, inspection, supervision and licensing of —

(i) social halls, dance halls and places of entertainment;

(ii) lodging and eating houses;

(iii) any premises or land in or upon which any profession, occupation, trade or business is carried on;

(iv) such occupations as the Secretary may specify in an Instrument from time to time.

21.  To establish and operate clinics and dressing stations in consultation with the Ministry of Health.

22.  To construct, repair, maintain and keep clean all streets.

23.  To divert or alter where necessary the course of any street.

24.  To provide or arrange for electric lighting  in streets and other public places and where necessary to provide and maintain electricity supply in consultation within the Electricity Corporation.

25. To construct, repair and maintain all public roads other than trunk roads but including feeder roads and to undertake road rehabilitation programmes within the district.

26. To prescribe the conditions subject to which the erection and construction demolition, re-erection, and reconstruction, conversion and re-conversion, alteration, repair, sanitation and ventilation of public and private buildings and structures may be undertaken and carried out.

27. To provide for building lines and the layout of buildings, to prepare and undertake and otherwise control schemes for improved housing layout and settlement.

28.  To prescribe the conditions to be satisfied on a site for any building or for any class of building.

29.  To prohibit the construction ofany new building unless and until the plan thereof have been submitted to and approved by the Volta River Authority.

30. To provide for the demolition of dangerous buildings and for the recovery of any expenses incurred in connection therewith.

31.  To maintain, as agents of Central Government, all public buildings, including prestige buildings put up by the Central Government and previously maintained by the Public Works Department.

32.  To maintain as agents of the Ghana Highway Authority, trunk roads lying within the boundaries of the area of authority of the township.

33. To take steps to ensure the effective maintenance of all Government properties within its area of authority.

34. To prohibit or regulate the use in any defined area of any inflammable material in the construction or repair of any building.

35.  To control and regulate the sitting of advertisement and hoardings or other structures designed for the display of advertisements.

36. To build, equip, open, close and maintain markets, prohibit the erection of stalls in places other than markets and prevent the sale and purchase of goods or stock near established markets or else where.

37. To fix days and hours during each day on which a market may be held and prevent the sale and purchase of goods in markets on any day or at any hour except, those fixed.

38.  To regulate and control markets including the fixing of and collection of stallage rents and tolls.

39.  (1) To require the owner of any premises to do any of the following acts:

(i) to remove, lower or trim to the satisfaction of the Volta River Authority any tree, shrub or hedge overhanging or interfering in any way with the traffic in any street or with any wires or works thereof;

(ii) to remove any dilapidated fence or structure abutting on any public place;

(iii) to paint, distemper, white-wash or colour-wash the outside walls or roof of any building forming part of the premises;

(iv) to tidy the premises; and

(v) to move any derelict car or other vehicles.

(2) In the event of the owner failing to comply with a notice from the Volta River Authority requiring him to perform any of the acts specified in sub-paragraphs (i-v) of paragraph (1) the Volta River Authority shall be at liberty to undertake the work and charge the owner with the cost thereof.

40. To build, equip and maintain all public primary, middle and special schools as are in the opinion of the Secretary for Education, after consultation with the Secretary responsible for Local Government, required in its area.

41. To advise the Secretary for Education on all matters relating to primary and middle schools and such other matters as may be referred to it by the Secretary for Education.

42.  To be responsible for —

(i) postings and transfers within its area of authority of teachers including pupil teachers;

(ii) keeping records of teachers;

(iii) discipline of teachers in accordance with the disciplinary code laid down by the Ghana Education Service;

(iv) appointment of school welfare officers;

(v) recommending teachers for study leave;

(vi) appointment of headteachers in accordance with rules laid down by the Ghana Education Services;

(vii) supervision of primary and middle schools;

(viii) formation of education committees;

(ix) collection of statistical data and other information;

(x) in-service training for pupil teachers;

(xi) nursery school education;

(xii) approval of the opening  of private primary and middle schools;

(xiii) payment of teachers’ salaries from funds made available by Government;

(xiv) indenting for the supply and distribution of textbooks;

(xv) disbursement of Education Grants.

43.  To provide for the control and regulation of —

(i) concerts, musical or theatrical performance, cinemas, fairs, circuses and other entertainments to which admission is to be obtained on payment of money or of any reward, except where the whole proceeds are being devoted to charity;

(ii) horse-racing meetings.

44. To grant and maintain scholarships or bursaries to suitable persons to attend, any school or other educational institution in Ghana or else where.

45. To provide for the establishment and maintenance of facilities for arts and crafts for recreation and sports.

46.  To establish, maintain, control and contribute to bands for musical performance in public places and at functions arranged by the Volta River Authority, and generally to provide musical entertainment in such places and at such functions.

47.  To arrange for the provision of public libraries in consultation with the Ghana Library Board.

48.  With the prior approval of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, to control the disposal of any African antique work of art.

49.  To organise community development programmes to improve and enrich rural life through running literacy and adult education classes, organising voluntary contributions and communal labour for the provision of such facilities and services as water supplies, road, school buildings, community centres, and public places of convenience; and teaching village women the management of home and care of children.

50.  To take such measures as would promote the well-being of under-privileged children and the stability of the distressed family.

51.  To organize and maintain child-care centres and ensure the proper running and management of such centers.

52. To establish, run and manage children’s homes and offer parental care for the deprived, namely, orphans and those that are neglected or abandoned.

53  To render relief services during natural disasters, eg.; floods, fire, earthquakes, accidents, in the form of supply of material.

54.  To be responsible for the improvement of agriculture including extension services and allotments for agricultural purposes.

55.  To control methods of husbandry.

56.  To allocate land in the township of the Assembly for farming purposes and to regulate the system of farming of such land.

57.  To provide services for the improvement of livestock.

58.  To prevent and control animal diseases.

59. To prohibit, restrict or regulate the hunting, capture, killing or sale of animal or birds or any specified kind of animal or bird.

60.  To provide for measures for soil and water conversation.

61.  To provide for the fencing of land and for the maintenance and repair of such fences.

62.  To take every step to encourage persons to plant specified crops for the maintenance of themselves and their families.

63. To plant trees in any street and to erect tree-guards to protect the same; provided that the streets shall not be unduly obstructed thereby.

64. To regulate or prohibit the planting, cutting, tapping, or destruction of any tree or vegetation growing along any street, road or path or in any public place.

65.  To establish and manage, on commercial basis, rural and small-scale industries and farms.

66. To promote tourism in the District in co-operation with the Regional Development Corporation and the Tourist Development Board.

67. Subject to the control and direction of the Registrar of Birth and Deaths to register all births and deaths occurring within the District.

68. To appoint in consultation with the Registrar of Births and Deaths such registration staff as may be necessary for the proper discharge of births and deaths registration duties.

69. To make such financial contribution as the Assembly deems necessary for the maintenance of any traditional authority which possesses any functions which relate to any part of its area.

70.  To establish and maintain tree nurseries and forest plantation and sell the produce thereof.

71.  To compile and maintain a record of all tenant farmers and the rents and tribute which should be paid by them.

72.  To prohibit or restrict the driving  or use of vehicles generally or any specified class on any specified road or specified direction on any specified road.

73.  To regulate the use ad conduct of public vehicles, to regulate routes and parking places to be used by such vehicles to appropriate particular routes, roads, streets, and parking place to specified classes to traffic and when necessary to provide the identification of licensed vehicles as defined in the Motor Traffic Ordinance.

74. To license any vehicle used for Taxi, bicycle, motor bicycle and to prescribe the fees to be paid in respect of any such bicycle or vehicle.

75.  To establish, acquire and maintain transport services by land or water, including ferries.

76.  To establish, maintain and control parks for motor and other vehicles.

77.  To establish, and maintain in consultation with the Ports and Telecommunications Corporations Postal Agencies where necessary.

78. To lay  down rules and regulations in respect of private and public property to ensure adequate fire protection.

79.  To prevent and control fire outbreak including bush fires.

80.  To promote the development of all sports within the area of authority of the Volta River Authority.

81. To organise sports activities, within its area of authority and to provide such facilities as may be recommended by the national body responsible for sports.

82.  To perform as agents of the national body responsible for sports in maintaining such sports facilities as may be assigned to it by the national body.

83.  To advise, to the exclusion of all others on all matters of sports relating to its area of authority.

84. To prohibit, restrict, regulate and license the manufacturer, distillation, sale, transportation, distribution, supply, possession and consumption of akpeteshie, palm-wine, and all kinds of description of fermented liquor usually made by citizen of Ghana or adjacent countries.

85.  To license petrol service and filling stations within the township.

86.  To provide information centres, where necessary in consultation with the Ministry of Information.

FLT.- LT. JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS

Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council