The Akatsi North District Assembly (ANDA) in the Volta region has organised stakeholders’ engagement meeting at the capital, Ave-Dakpa, where the District Chief Executive (DCE) rendered account of his stewardship to the people. He also educated them on the need for the Assembly to fix its fees for 2024.
The programme, which was attended by chiefs, civil society organisations, market women, farmers, hairdressers, dressmakers, Okada riders and drivers, among others, exposed the people to the development activities of the assembly and its future development plans.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Simon Peter Kofi Ofosu, said the programme was part of efforts being made by the assembly to deepen democratic practices, which would promote participation of the people in the activities of the assembly.
Mr Ofosu also explained that the programme was basically designed to enable him account to the people about the development activities carried out in the area under his leadership and to solicit for views of the people.
According to him, the assembly had completed a number of development projects including roads, educational and health infrastructure. They have also built a new market at Ave-Dakpa to promote economic activities in the District and stressed the need for the people to collaborate with the assembly.
He assured the people that the assembly was committed to ensuring that all projects started by his predecessor had been completed.
Mr Ofosu commended the chiefs and elders in the district for their effective contributions towards the development of the area and stressed that the assembly would appreciate constructive criticisms that help the assembly to develop.
The DCE urged the people to live up to their tax obligations by paying taxes regularly and timely to enable the assembly to mobilise adequate resources through such internally generated funds for the development of the district.
The Akatsi North District Planning Officer (DPO), Mr Kwaku Baffour Asare, educated the stakeholders on the medium term development plan of the assembly, which he said, would ensure that critical development projects had been executed to help improve on the living conditions of the residents.
Mr Asare mentioned the provision of additional boreholes, upgrading and building of markets to promote economic activities, provide more educational and health infrastructure.
The Planning Officer explained that the medium term development plan was in line with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to ensure that such plans directly benefit the poor and ultimately improve their standard of living.
The Presiding Member of the Assembly, Mr Patrick Kwame Ahiabu stressed the need for residents to consider the assembly as their own by contributing meaningfully towards its development, saying the development of the district largely depended on them since nobody would help develop the area.
Mr Ahiabu asked the people to consider development as a process that called for the collective efforts by all.
He noted that all over the country, assemblies largely depended on the internally generated funds to embark on development projects, therefore, if the people refused to pay their taxes, the district would lag behind in terms of development.
He said it was important for residents in the area, to be law abiding particularly traders in the new market at Dakpa to ensure that space and sheds allocated to individual traders would be maintained to help bring sanity to the market.
