Thursday, 20 February 2020

CONSTITUTION OF OMANBOTANTIM ASSOCIATION


RESOLUTION
We the above mentioned Association, believing in development, activities in our natural and human resources and their positive impact on the people in these communities, and having analyzed its adverse effects that will be felt by that community in this absence, hereby unanimously resolve to form an Association which will organize the people and also revive their spiritual, social and moral obligations in the communities on the 10th OCT., 2010.

ARTICLE 1: NAME OF ASSOCIATION
The association shall be called GOOD CITIZEN ASSOCIATION (OMANBOTANTIM)
The motto of the association shall be “Voice for the Voiceless”

ARTICLE 2: FOUNDERS
The association was formed by:

FRANK KOFI ADUSEI

DAVID KWAME MANU

KWABENA OPOKU


ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP,

This shall be residents of Kenyasi No. 1 and 2, Ntotroso, Wamahinso, Gyedu and its catchment villages who are touched by the aspirations of the Association and who are prepared to uphold the constitution of the Association.

ARTICLE 4: ENTRANCE FORM AND MEMBERSHIP DUES  

An entrance form shall be GH₵50.00 and monthly dues of GH¢ 10.00 shall be paid by each member. This shall be subject to change when the need arises.

ARTICLE 5: MEETING

The meeting place will be based at Association Office Kenyasi no2, Ampedwe electoral area. General meeting shall be held on the last Tuesday of every month from 10am-12pm unless otherwise decided by the executives’ body.

Emergency meeting shall be held at anytime of the week as deemed fit by the Executives. The quorum required for decision making at every general meeting should be 2/3 of the members of the association present. A member who fails to attend meetings without prior information of the chairman or his vice chairperson or any of the executives, shall attract a penalty of Gh¢ 10.00. General executive meeting shall be held every Tuesday. A executive who fails to attend a meeting more than three consecutive time shall be dismiss or impact.

ARTICLE 6: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the association is to bring together all the members in these communities, both natives and non natives, to embark on development in these communities. However, the following broad objectives will be pursued by the association.
To bring all the people, both citizens and non-citizens to form the association for the purpose s of developmental projects.

To champion the cause of development through collaboration with the Unit Committee, Assemble Members and Traditional Authorities in these communities

To promote health relations with the mining company and these communities by assuring them the necessary peace to carry on their operations.

To promote effective participation in local developmental initiatives through revitalization of communal labour.

To promote self-help spirit amongst the members to enable them provide for themselves.

To assist any paid up members of the association in time of need (sickness and death).

To help raise fund through various means to carry out local developmental projects.

To foster unity among the members for effective community development.

To serve as platform to educate the public about their communal and civic responsibilities so as to become responsible citizens.

To promote good health in these communities through formal and informal education about the need to sensitize the environment for sustainable local development.

To create platform for HIV/AIDS awareness campaign which has become a menace among the members in the most mining communities in Ghana, including our communities.

 To serve as a platform to encourage the privilege members to donate in the training and retraining of less privilege ones in these communities so as to strengthen the human resources capacity for sustainable community development.

To encourage the in Diaspora to share their expertise with and to donate generously for the development of these communities.



ARTICLE 7: DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES

The following shall be our development focus:
To collaborate with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, District Assembly, Traditional council and Newmont to support the Association to move on to Agriculture to serve as alternative sustainable livelihood for the majority unemployed people.
For the purpose of reducing the rate of unemployment, the Association takes up contractors or sub-contractors from Newmont and District Assemble, which shall be manage solely by its leadership.

The leadership in the name of the Association shall loan from the NADeF micro finance and other funds to set up by the government to enhance capacity to reduce poverty among these communities.
To collaborate with Newmont and other sub-companies to secure employment for the natives of these communities especially the youth.

ARTICLE 8: PROJECT PLAN FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

The following shall be our development focus

1.      Building of community library complex facility stocked with computers.

2.      Financial support to some needy but brilliant students to pursue higher education.

3.      To set up education fund.

4.      Establishment of technical Vocational institute.

5.      Plantation farm

ARTICLE 9: CLASSIFICATION-PROGRAMS

Community employment

Community empowerment

Community health

The executives, in consultation with Unit Committee and traditional council, shall decide which project is to be carried out first. This must be done with justification.

ARTICLE 10: EDUCATIONAL /REFRESHER WORKSHOP

The association from time to time, organizes a workshop for members and the communities as broadly outline below:

The association shall organize periodic health promotion talk on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Cholera and Drug Abuse to educate communities about the dangers inherent them. This will be done by inviting experts from Ministry of Health, NGO’s and CBO’s to do the education.

Periodic invitation of Mineral commission/Ministry of Mines, Environment Protection Agency, Lands and Natural Resources to educate the community about Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Laws.

ARTICLE 10: FUNDS FOR DEVELOPMENT

1.      The association shall raise funds for its activities through personal contributions from members. Funds for community development activities will be obtained from members and non-members who reside at in the community and its environs through development contributions, fund raising and donations which will be implemented by the association the in collaboration with the Assemble and traditional authorities.

2.      Secondly, the association shall raise funds for development through appeal for fund from Development oriented NGO’s and other local, national and international philanthropic organizations. It shall also register as a corporate entity (where possible) with the register of companies, to seek contract from organizations and companies, including NGGL. The potential profit from such contract will be used purely to support the development effort of the Association in the community.
    
ARTICLE 11: EXECUTIVE AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL BODY

The association shall be governed by nine (9) core executives’ and other eleven (11) bodies including deputies. This will consist of Chairperson, the Vice chairperson, the Secretary, Assistant Secretary,  financial secretary, Public Relations Officer, Treasure, General Organizer and Women’s Organizer.
There shall be an advisory board to counsel or advice the executives in their performance.
This board shall consist of seven (7) members.
 
ARTICLE 12: EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

The body shall carry out the meetings and also ensure that the aims and objectives of the association are pursued.
Also, the body may co-opt into their meetings any member(s) whom they consider to be resourceful to their deliberations both members and non-members.
The executive shall hold office for a period of FOUR years term if the association deems their performance to be satisfactory.
The executive shall hold office for more than two terms, either consecutively or with gap if the members of the association approve of their nomination.

a)    Executive office of the association shall be elected by the members of the association under supervision o f the electoral commission.

b)      An electoral commission shall be set up one week after the registration to the association. It shall be constituted by three (3) people chosen from the members of the association through acclamation.Members selected to institute the Electoral College shall be men of integrity, firm, fearless, and capable of doing the job. They shall swear an oath to conduct their work in a “free and fair” manner.

c)      Application forms shall be obtained at the cost of GH₵ 10.00 from the electoral commission association before submitting it to the electoral commission. The electoral shall set one meeting day aside where manifestoes of the qualified applicant shall be presented to the entire members. Applicant shall then be given one clear week within which they are to campaign for the position.

d)      Voting for elections shall be secret balloting and the winner declared by SIMPLE MAJORITY. Voting for executives shall take place in the week  immediately following the campaign period voting at meetings for decision shall, however , be by “show Hands”

e)      The second place candidate after the elections shall automatically become the vice or assistant to the elected member(s).

f)       Without prejudice to article 12 sub-sections (a) to (g) above the electoral commission shall be mandated to cancel a result of an election if it is convinced of any malpractices, fraud or any act devoid of free and fair.

ARTICLE 14: THE EXECUTIVES 

  a)   THE CHAIRPERSON

He or she shall preside over all general and emergency meetings, and shall in collaboration with the financial secretary and treasurer sign cheques and withdraw on behalf of the association. He shall authorize all payment from bank and impress. In addition to these basic ones, the chairperson shall perform the following broad functions. The chairperson shall be the highest executive officer in the association.

The chairperson, by the objectives and guidelines of the association and in consultation with the executive members, shall be responsible for developing and implementing plans to ensure total optimum achievement of the aims and objective of the association.

The chairperson shall provide leadership, develop, and enforce appropriate policies to ensure that members of the association as whole adhere to set developmental objectives and comply with the norms and aspirations of the association.The chairperson shall ensure that the interest of the association or the community at large its environs are properly represented and protect at all governmental, industrial and district levels.

Provides leadership to the executive team to ensure other leadership functions are properly co-ordinate and are executed in a more democratic and liberal manner devoid of corruption and favoritism.
The chairperson shall act as communication expert and will be responsible for directing messages to external group such as Unit Committee, Religious bodies, Traditional authorities, Management of Government bodies’ etc. maintaining open and transparent dialogue with such bodies on matters pertaining to the community developmental issues, employment, action, and strategies to combat it. Uphold the good will and social responsibilities of the association.

b)     THE VICE CHAIRPERSON.

He or she act in the absence of the president and also assist the chairperson in the day-to-day administration.

c) THE SECRETARY.

The secretary shall be responsible for developing and maintain an effective recording system of all minutes to the meeting, events, agenda etc.
He or she shall be responsible for preparing circulars, reports, menus etc and corresponding with other community associations on relevant matters that affect the overall or total achievement of socio-economic development of the community.He or she shall play the role non-verbal public relations activities and does so on the advice and directions of the chairperson.

Liaise with the organizer to ensure proper organization of meeting and seminars, forums etc and reporting there from all matters arising. Advice on publishing association‘s news letter or piece of writing to project the programs and activities, achievements and proposal of the association.

d)  THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY.

 He or she act in the absence of the secretary and also assist the secretary in the day-to-day administration.

e)    TREASURE

He or she shall ensure that proper book accounts are kept in collaboration with chairperson and the financial secretary‘s financial records.

f)       FINANCIAL SECRETARY

The financial secretary shall record all financial matters in the association to ensure that proper book accounts are kept.

g)  COMMUNICATION OFFICER:


h)     DEPUTIES EXECUTIVES

He or she shall acts in the absence of his or her boss and also assist him or her in the day-to-day administration.

ARTICLE 15: SALARY FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

The executive officers shall receive no remuneration or allowances for their servicers to the association. Their executive functions shall be rendered to the association purely on voluntary basis. But there shall end of service benefits, if funds are available.

ARTICLE 16: BANKERS

The association shall lodge all its monies with the Ghana Commercial Bank Hwidiem Branch, Agricultural Development Bank Kenyasi Branch, Asutifi Rural Bank Kenyasi Branch and Ecobank.
The association shall operate savings account system so that some interest can be accrued to the lodgment.

ARTICLE 17: SIGNATORIES.

Authorization to withdraw of money from account of the association shall be approved by the chairperson in consultation with the executives. The chairperson, financial secretary and the treasure shall be the sole persons whose signature shall be used to open the account of the association and who shall endorse any withdrawal from the account.

ARTICLE 18: IMPRESS

All monies shall be lodge with the association bank at Ecobank Kenyasi Branch.
However, the treasure shall be permitted by the executives to keep an impress of not more than GH₵ 500.00 for the day-to-day running of the association. All expenditures of the association must be supported by proper verifiable documentation such as receipts, invoices etc. this must be properly kept in a separate file to assist in half auditing of the association’s account.

ARTICLE 19: INTERNAL /EXTERNAL AUDITORS

The executive in consultation with members of the association shall, three months after registration and the coming into force of this constitution, set up a three member internal Audit committee who will audit the Association in every half of the calendar year. At least one of the committee members must be an in-depth knowledge in Accounting. Executive members shall constitutionally be barred to serve in the committee.

 The committee shall be given all necessary information, material, and resource needed to do proper auditing. Where there is the need to fall on external auditors, the association shall do so after having taken into consideration the cost of such service to the association.

ARTICLE 20: IMPEACHMENT OF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A.      All executive officer will be accountable to the rank and file of the association. All their dealings shall govern by democratic principles, transparency, and accountability.

B.      To uphold this tenet, members shall be given the power conferred by the constitution to raise an impeachment order against any executive member who is found to go contrary to these constitutional tenets.

C.      This constitution gives no immunity to any executive member whose actions , utterances, moral and public behavior etc shall create  or have potential of creating panic, divisiveness, dismemberment, misappropriation or embezzlement of funds, politicization and potential collapse of the association. Such action shall be considered as impeachable offences. An executive officer shall be impeached by two-third majority of the members of the association present at the time the impeachment order was raised.

D.     Before the impeachment exercise is carried out, the disciplinary committee shall sit on the alleged offence of the executive in question to decide other whether such offence is tantamount to impeachment or not. If the offence is impeachable one, then the impeachment shall be carried out 2/ 3 majority of the members present.

ARTICLE 21: ACCOUNTABILITY

The executives shall render account to the association in every half of a calendar year. Members of the association have every right under this constitution to demand explanations to the section of the financial reports which they are very suspicious of some financial impropriety or scandal. Any misappropriation or embezzlement of fund by any executive officer shall result in instant dismissal from the association. This is after he or she had refunded to the association to the money so misapplied or embezzled. Failure to do so shall result in the person being sent to the law court for legal action to be preferred against him.

ARTICLE 22: WELFARE PACKAGE

The welfare package shall enjoyed by members of the association.


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