Tuesday, July 28, 2009

NDC WILL DELIVER BETTER GHANA AGENDA...B. A. Regional Minister declares (PAGE 16)

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, has given the assurance that the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will deliver on its campaign promise of a “Better Ghana”.
He said the government had therefore put in place pragmatic policies and programmes at all levels to enable it to bring to fruition the “Better Ghana” agenda, and therefore urged Ghanaians to exercise restraint as the signs would become visible in a short time.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo gave the assurance when he addressed the first ordinary meeting of the Kintampo South District Assembly held at Jema, the district capital. This was against the background that many of the electorate are complaining that six months into the NDC administration, they are not seeing any visible signs on the ground.
He noted that the strategy to achieve the “Better Ghana” for all was on course and Ghanaians would begin to enjoy the fruits soon.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo called on the assembly members to put all that happened during the election behind them.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister also urged indebted municipal and district assemblies in the region, as a result of development projects begun by the previous administration, not to initiate new ones.
According to him, those assemblies must ensure the completion of all those projects, especially the ones that impacted on the living conditions of the people, and review the ones that were yet to commence before initiating new ones.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo disclosed that the amount owed by those assemblies in the region ranged from GH¢1million to GH¢1.9 million saying it would therefore not be prudent for those assemblies to initiate new projects.
He, however, commended the Kintampo Assembly for not incurring any debt, and therefore urged the assembly to use its share of the common fund to initiate new development projects that would enhance the living conditions of the people.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo urged the assembly members and staff not to allow their political ideology and affiliation to cloud their sense of judgement.
Mr Kojo Nyame Datiakwa, the Kintampo South District Chief Executive (DCE), in his address said the assembly received GH¢754,842.15 from the District Assemblies Common Fund Secretariat.
He mentioned some of the projects that would be undertaken with the money from the common fund as construction of a three-bedroom bungalow for the District Police Commander, creation of access roads in the Jema Township, drilling and mechanisation of eight boreholes, rehabilitation of the DCE’s residence, construction of a three-unit classroom block at Jema-Nkwanta, construction of security fence for the DCE’s bungalow, construction of a three-unit one-bedroom staff quarters at Jema and mechanisation of boreholes at Pamdu.
Mr Datiakwa said the assembly had so far disbursed GH¢18,014.84 as financial support to the various categories of students in the district, and gave the breakdown as GH¢7,576.55 to nursing students, GH¢2,436.29 to students in second-cycle schools, GH¢3,552.00 to teacher trainees and GH¢4,450.00 to students in tertiary institutions.
He said the assembly had completed the construction of the duty post bungalow for the medical superintendent of the district hospital while plans were far advanced to drill two mechanised boreholes for the doctor’s bungalow and the hospital to provide potable water for the health facility.
Mr Datiakwa said the assembly had also put in place measures to improve on its internal revenue mobilisation, and urged assembly members to help educate their people on the need to honour their tax obligations to the assembly.
The Kintampo South DCE also expressed concerns about the undue delay in the completion of the district assembly’s administration block and the district police headquarters, saying that the landlord had asked the assembly to leave the building, which served as the offices of the assembly, by the end of August.
Mr Datiakwa said the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme had made progress since its establishment in 2006, and so far had registered 49,890 people, representing 61.09 per cent of the population.
He, however, appealed to the assembly members to educate their electorate on the benefits of the scheme in order to get more people to register.

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