HISTORY OF SUNYANI WEST MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
Sunyani West Municipal Assembly (SWMA) is one of the 12 municipalities/districts in the Bono Region of the Republic of Ghana. Odumase is designated as its administrative capital. The Assembly has four major towns, namely Odumase, Fiapre, Nsoatre, and Chiraa. The Sunyani West Municipal Assembly, situated in the western part of the Bono region, encompasses a land area of approximately 1,059.33 square kilometers. Defined geographically by latitudes 7º 19´N and 7º 35´N and longitudes 2º 08´ W and 2º 31´ W, the Municipality shares borders with several neighbouring districts, including Tain to the North, Wenchi to the North-East, Sunyani to the South, and Berekum to the West and Dormaa East to the South-West.
The Assembly was carved out of the then Sunyani Municipal Assembly through a Legislative Instrument (LI) 1881 in November 2007 to bring Local Governance closer to its constituents. It was officially inaugurated on 29th February 2008; its population was 85,272 (48.5% male, 51.5% female), marking the beginning of its operation as a distinct District Assembly. It was elevated to municipal status on 13th November, 2019, by the executive instrument with Odumase as the administrative capital. SWMA is the planning authority of the area and has planning and rating powers. The Assembly plays a crucial role in facilitating local development, delivering essential services, and promoting community engagement within its jurisdiction. Its establishment and evolution underscore the ongoing commitment to effective and responsive governance at the local level in Ghana.
Since its establishment, the Assembly has been guided by key figures, notably the inaugural District Chief Executive, Hon. Ankamah Kyere, and the first Coordinating Director, Num K. Emmanuel, whose contributions have been instrumental in shaping the District’s early developmental trajectory. Their leadership has been vital in navigating the initial stages of growth and laying the foundation for subsequent progress.
VISION
SWMA’s vision is “a future in which all inhabitants will experience enhanced living conditions and adequate socio-economic services of satisfactory quality in a well-maintained, highly decentralised, and democratic environment.”
MISSION
The Sunyani West Municipal Assembly exists “to attain a high standard of living for the inhabitants of the Municipality through public-private collaboration, provision of facilities, social services, improved farming and husbandry methods in a sustained environment, and promoting governance through the strengthening of the Assembly substructures.”
CORE VALUES
Our core values are accountability, client-oriented, creativity, diligence, equity, integrity, innovativeness, loyalty, commitment, anonymity, impartiality, permanence, timeliness, and transparency.
FUNCTION
The functions of SWMA are spelt out in Section 12 of the Local Governance Act (LGA), Act 936, 2016, and the Second Schedule of the Local Government (Sunyani West Municipal Assembly) (Establishment) Instrument, LI 1881, of 2019. Specific reference is made to Section 12 (3) of the LGA, which outlines the functions of the District Assembly as follows:
- Be responsible for the overall development of the Municipality.
- Formulate and execute plans, programmes and strategies for the effective mobilization of the resources necessary for the overall development of the Municipality.
- Promote and support productive activity and social development in the Municipality and remove any obstacles to initiatives and development.
- Sponsor the education of students from the Municipal to fill particular manpower needs of the Municipality, especially in the social sectors of education and health, making sure that the sponsorship is fairly and equitably balanced between male and female students.
- Initiate programmes for the development of basic infrastructure and provide Municipal works and services in the Municipality.
- Be responsible for the development, improvement, and management of human settlements and the environment in the Municipality.
- In co-operation with the appropriate national and local security agencies, be responsible for the maintenance of security and public safety in the Municipality.
- Ensure ready access to courts in the Municipality for the promotion of justice.
- Act to preserve and promote the cultural heritage within the Municipality.
- Initiate, sponsor or carry out such studies as may be necessary for the discharge of any of the functions conferred by the LGA or any other enactment; and
- Perform such other functions as may be provided under any other enactment.
Sunyani West Municipality in the National Context
Sunyani West Municipality in the Regional Context
Map of Sunyani West Municipality