The Yilo Krobo Municipality has witnessed significant infrastructure expansion, social intervention programmes and improvements in public service delivery within the first year of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, according to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Francis Akumatey Addo.
According to him, the municipality has embarked on an ambitious development agenda aimed at improving the living conditions of residents, strengthening local governance, and accelerating socio-economic growth across communities.
Speaking on the achievements recorded so far, Hon. Akumatey Addo noted that the assembly has focused its efforts on critical sectors, including healthcare, education, sanitation, roads, agriculture, employment creation, and revenue mobilization.
Major Investments in Healthcare Infrastructure
One of the key achievements highlighted by the MCE is the expansion of healthcare infrastructure through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
According to him, several Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds initiated under previous administrations have been completed, furnished, and equipped to improve healthcare delivery in underserved communities.
The completed facilities include the Aketebour CHPS Compound, Akorwu-Bana CHPS Compound, Abooa Osuborninya CHPS Compound, and the Aboabo CHPS Compound.
All the facilities have been commissioned and supplied with the necessary medical equipment to support healthcare workers and improve access to medical services.
The Assembly has also completed and commissioned the Klo-Agogo Nurses’ Quarters, providing accommodation for healthcare professionals and enhancing staff retention in rural communities.
Additionally, renovation works have been carried out on the official residences of the Municipal Chief Executive and the Municipal Coordinating Director.
The Municipal Assembly building itself has undergone extensive refurbishment, including painting and furnishing, for the first time in over two decades.
The Assembly has also awarded contracts for the construction of new healthcare facilities, including CHPS compounds at Brukum Maumi and Labolabo. Construction work is currently ongoing.
To address challenges relating to access to potable water, the Assembly has also commenced the construction of ten mechanized boreholes fitted with overhead tanks and water treatment systems across various communities.
Education Sector Receives Major Boost
Education has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of ongoing development efforts within the municipality.
Under DACF-funded projects, construction is underway on a kindergarten block at Korbo Okumka and a Junior High School (JHS) block at Klo-Agogo Presbyterian School, while the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has also invested heavily in educational infrastructure within the municipality.
At the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) at Somanya, two hostel blocks are under construction to improve accommodation for students.
Yilo Krobo Senior High School is benefiting from several major projects, including a two-storey girls’ dormitory block, a two-storey boys’ dormitory block and a three-story eighteen-unit classroom block.
At Somanya Presbyterian Junior High School, a two-storey six-unit classroom block with a six-unit staff quarters facility is under construction, while Sra Presbyterian Junior High School is receiving a two-storey six-unit classroom block and a six-unit staff quarters project.
Klo-Agogo Senior High School has also seen significant investment, with projects including three four-unit semi-detached two-bedroom teachers’ bungalows, a three-bedroom headmistress’ bungalow, a dining hall with kitchen facilities, and a two-storey administration block with a library.
Other completed educational projects include a six-unit classroom block at Aboabo Basic School and another six-unit classroom block at Djoplennya and a staff bungalow project at Sra has also been completed.
Hundreds of pupils and teachers in the Yilo Krobo Municipality have benefited from improved classroom conditions following the distribution of 440 pieces of school furniture by the Municipal Assembly to schools across the area.
The furniture, officially handed over to the Municipal Education Directorate by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Francis Addo Akumatey, forms part of ongoing efforts to address furniture shortages in public schools and create a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
The items comprise 222 mono desks, 124 dual desks, and 94 sets of tables and chairs for teachers. They will be distributed to selected schools identified as having pressing furniture needs.
At a brief ceremony in Somanya, the MCE said the intervention reflects the government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure and ensuring that every child has access to quality learning facilities.
According to him, no child should be compelled to learn under uncomfortable conditions due to the lack of basic classroom furniture, adding that the Assembly remains determined to support efforts aimed at enhancing educational standards and improving learning outcomes throughout the municipality.
The furniture was procured using the Assembly’s allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), with officials indicating that additional supplies will be acquired in the coming years to further reduce the deficit in schools.
The MCE revealed that future DACF allocations for 2026, 2027, and 2028 would partly be directed toward the procurement of more classroom furniture to ensure that schools across the municipality are adequately equipped.
He urged school authorities, teachers, students, and community members to cultivate a maintenance culture and protect the furniture from damage, stressing that “these items have been provided with public resources and must be carefully managed to serve both current and future generations of learners.”
Officials of the Municipal Education Directorate who received the furniture expressed appreciation to the Assembly for the support, describing it as a timely intervention that would help improve classroom management and enhance the learning experience of pupils.
They noted that inadequate furniture remains a challenge in some schools, affecting both students and teachers, and expressed optimism that the newly supplied desks and chairs would help address some of the difficulties faced in the classroom.
The Directorate also pledged to ensure that the furniture is distributed to beneficiary schools based on assessed needs and that proper monitoring mechanisms are put in place to safeguard the items.
Beyond the current distribution, the Assembly announced plans to provide furniture for newly completed classroom blocks and other educational infrastructure projects within the municipality.
Education stakeholders believe the intervention will not only improve comfort in the classroom but also contribute to better academic performance by creating an environment that supports effective teaching and learning.
The initiative represents another step in the municipality’s efforts to strengthen the education sector and provide children with the resources needed to achieve their full potential.
Police and Community Infrastructure Projects Near Completion
The municipality has also made progress in improving public infrastructure and security facilities, where the Klo-Agogo Police Station has been completed and is expected to strengthen law enforcement operations within the area.
Akumatey Addo disclosed that the Assembly has broadened collaboration among security agencies by including the Koforidua and Asesewa Commands in Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) meetings for the first time.
He said the Assembly maintains constant engagement with security commanders to facilitate intelligence gathering, improve response times, and enhance public safety across the municipality.
Meanwhile, construction of the Nkurakan Community Center has reached approximately 98 percent completion and is expected to provide a venue for community engagements and social activities.
Aggressive Sanitation Drive Yields Results
The assembly says sanitation conditions across the municipality have improved considerably following the implementation of a comprehensive sanitation programme.
As part of efforts to maintain cleanliness and public health standards, sanitation committees have been established at both management and zonal levels.
In a move described by many residents as unprecedented, the assembly officially recruited 43 sanitation officers and provided them with formal appointments and conditions of service with the additional acquisition of a final refuse disposal site at Klo-Agogo together with sanitation equipment to support waste management operations.
Large volumes of refuse that had accumulated over several years at various dumping sites across the municipality have been evacuated.
The municipality has further intensified public participation in environmental cleanliness through the observance of National Sanitation Day activities under the theme “Operation Clean Your Frontage,” which focuses on eliminating indiscriminate waste disposal and clearing refuse dumps.
Road Infrastructure Development Underway
Construction works are currently ongoing on the Odumase Roundabout and the Adjikpo-Asitey Roundabout projects, which are expected to improve traffic flow and road safety.
The Assembly has also secured the award of contracts for the Dodowa-Somanya Roundabout and Somanya inner-roads projects.
Several feeder roads serving farming and residential communities have additionally been reshaped and graveled to improve accessibility and facilitate economic activities.
Youth Employment and Social Protection Programmes Expanded
Hon. Akumatey Addo said the Assembly has intensified efforts to create employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
Under the National Apprenticeship Programme, master craftspeople and apprentices have received tools, equipment, and support to establish their businesses.
The assembly has also partnered with UNESCO, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Kofi Annan ICT Centre to provide skills training for young people, especially girls.
The programme has focused on ICT training and caregiver certification, with several beneficiaries reportedly securing employment opportunities, including placements within the National Ambulance Service.
Additional apprenticeship initiatives have provided start-up capital and equipment to beneficiaries to help them become self-employed.
The municipality has also facilitated the recruitment of young people into community policing and fire service programmes under the Youth Employment initiative.
Support for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has equally been expanded, with 74 beneficiaries receiving assistance packages described by the Assembly as unprecedented in the municipality’s history.
The agricultural sector has also benefited from a number of intervention programmes aimed at promoting food production and creating employment opportunities.
Young men and women have been supported with start-up kits for fish farming and rabbit farming ventures.
Under the government’s Feed Ghana initiative and the “Nkoko Nkitinkiti” programme, approximately 10,000 birds have been distributed to beneficiaries to boost poultry production and household incomes.
The Assembly also enhanced support packages for farmers during the National Farmers Day celebrations as part of efforts to encourage agricultural productivity.
Revenue Mobilization Reforms Showing Results
To strengthen the municipality’s financial position, the Assembly has implemented several revenue enhancement measures.
A revenue mobilization taskforce and dedicated monitoring teams have been established to improve revenue collection and reduce leakages.
The Assembly also repaired several previously grounded official vehicles, returning four out of six vehicles to active service to improve operational efficiency.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to modernize and digitalize revenue collection systems, particularly property rate administration, to increase transparency and maximize internally generated funds.
He reiterated the assembly’s commitment to ensuring that all ongoing projects are completed on schedule while pursuing additional investments that will create jobs, improve social services, and position Yilo Krobo as one of the leading municipalities in the Eastern Region.
According to him, the achievements recorded within the first year demonstrate the administration’s determination to translate government policies into tangible development outcomes that directly impact the lives of residents.
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