The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has urged residents and clients who experience poor service delivery, staff misconduct or other challenges in their dealings with the Assembly to report such concerns to its Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC).
Chairman of the PRCC and Presiding Member of the AMA, Hon. Musah Ziyad, said the Committee provided an important avenue for members of the public to seek redress when they encountered inappropriate conduct or administrative challenges while accessing services from the Assembly.
He made the call as the AMA joined institutions around the world to observe Customer Service Week 2026, which is being celebrated from October 5 to 9 under the theme “The Extra Mile.”
The annual observance seeks to highlight the importance of quality customer service and recognise the contribution of employees who interact with and support customers.
Mr Ziyad said the celebration should go beyond recognising good customer service and serve as an opportunity for public institutions, particularly the AMA, to reflect on how residents experience its services.
He encouraged anyone who encountered difficulties, unfair treatment or inappropriate conduct in the course of accessing an AMA service to bring the matter before the PRCC for investigation and appropriate action.
According to him, the Committee’s mandate complemented the Assembly’s efforts to improve its relationship with residents and ensure that people who interacted with the institution received professional and respectful treatment.
Mr Ziyad also used the occasion to remind AMA employees, especially frontline and front-desk officers, that their conduct could significantly influence public perception of the Assembly.
He said employees who dealt directly with residents were effectively the face of the AMA and, therefore, had a responsibility to ensure that their attitude, communication and general conduct reflected the standards expected of a public institution.
“Whenever you interact with a customer or a member of the public, you are representing the AMA,” he said, stressing the need for officers to remain professional in their dealings with residents.
He noted that good customer service was not limited to processing payments, issuing permits or providing other administrative services.
Rather, officers were expected to listen attentively to concerns, provide accurate information and appropriate assistance, and treat members of the public with courtesy and respect.
Mr Ziyad said residents should not feel helpless when they believed an AMA employee had acted improperly.
He explained that where a person considered the conduct of an Assembly official inappropriate, the affected individual could report the matter to the PRCC for examination.
The Presiding Member explained that the PRCC was established under Section 26 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which provides for every District Assembly to have a Public Relations and Complaints Committee chaired by the Presiding Member.
The Committee comprises the Presiding Member as chairperson, five Assembly Members elected by the Assembly, as well as representatives of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Information Services Department (ISD) and civil society organisations operating within the district.
Mr Ziyad stressed that the PRCC was not merely a channel for lodging complaints but also an important mechanism for strengthening transparency, accountability and fairness in local governance.
He said the Committee provided a platform through which residents could raise concerns about the conduct of Assembly officials and seek appropriate redress.
Section 27 of Act 936 outlines a number of responsibilities for the PRCC, including educating the public on the activities of the Assembly and promoting transparency, probity and accountability.
The Committee is also mandated to investigate complaints relating to the conduct of Assembly officials and employees.
Its responsibilities further include examining allegations of administrative injustice, abuse or misuse of office, as well as violations of fundamental human rights.
Mr Ziyad said residents should therefore regard the PRCC as an accessible avenue for raising legitimate concerns about their experiences with the Assembly.
He urged AMA staff to embrace the spirit of Customer Service Week by going beyond the basic requirements of their duties and making conscious efforts to improve the experience of residents who depend on the Assembly for public services.
He said strengthening customer service and ensuring that complaints were properly addressed would help build greater public confidence in the AMA and improve relations between the Assembly and the communities it serves.
By 1960news.com
