Ahanta Assembly underlines projects for development

Compiled by Alfred Adams

THE Ahanta West District Assembly has held it Second General Assembly Meeting, with a projection to undertake several developmental projects in the area of education and infrastructural development for this calendar year.
Since education has been identified as the bedrock of society, the Assembly has itemised a number of educational programmes to carry out this calendar year, with the view to enhancing the status of education in the district.
Ahanta West is one of the districts battling with a poor educational record. For instance, in the latest Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), it recorded 75% failure.
It is apparently in line with this sordid educational performance that the Assembly has decided to put in much in the area of education, particularly in the area of basic education.
In line with this, the Assembly is going to construct a 9-unit classroom block for the benefit of the people of Gyabenkrom, Agona Nkwanta and Tumentu. Again, it is constructing two separate kindergarten blocks for use by people of Anyinase and Akwidaa.
What is more, the Assembly is supplying a total of 500 pieces of dual desks, 750 mono desks and another 750 table and chairs for the kindergartens.
In the area of financial matters, however, the Assembly made significant improvement in the collection of revenue. The Assembly projected to collect a total sum of GH¢4,261,641.90 for the year 2012, and as at June this year, collection stood at GH¢1,134,921.41, showing an improvement over the first quarter.
The Assembly generated a figure GH¢280,847.50 under its Internal Generated Fund (IGF) as at June this year, with Stool Land Royalties bringing in GH¢29,060.00 in the same month. Earlier, addressing the Assembly meeting, Joseph Dofoyena, District Chief Executive (DCE), admitted that not much, in terms of developmental projects, was carried out as a result of the government’s directives to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to complete all on-going developmental projects in their areas of jurisdiction before embarking on new ones.
As a result of this directive, the projects to be initiated had to be put on hold.
Skills Training
The DCE, in his address, identified skills training for the youth as a major tool for addressing the problem of unemployment in the district. As a result, the Youth Leadership Training Institute, a vocational school located at Abura, is going to be supported to offer training to the youth to be self employable and self reliant in the near future.
Currently, the training center can admit a total of 800 students, but the school is currently facing mounting challenges due to deteriorating infrastructure.
Legal Matters
In the area of litigation, the DCE brought to the attention of the members a number of court cases pending against the Assembly. These cases, according to the DCE, had been pending before 2009, and included claims on the Assembly.
The DCE said the Assembly, through it solicitors, had entered appearance in all these cases, and was at the same time making efforts to get them appropriately resolved. That would maintain a good corporate image for the District.

Short URL: http://thechronicle.com.gh/?p=46328