BeKwai Witnesses Accelerated Progress

It would be a gross display of sheer dishonesty for any citizen of Bekwai, capital of the Amansie East District of Ashanti Region to claim that the town has not seen any development at all under the Kufuor administration.

'Bekwai, under the Kufuor government, has witnessed unprecedented accelerated development on all fronts since 2001', says the District Chief Executive, Mr. Richard Aboagye.

He adds; I must emphasise that Bekwai has, since 2001, received its fair share of the national cake and it would be naive, indeed a fruitless effort on the part of any individual or group to endeavour to water down or deny this great achievement.

The DCE was reacting to a series of publications by an Accra private daily to the effect that the town had not undergone any development during the Kufuor administration to the extent that 'one could not put a finger on any single project for Be-kwai.'

Debunking the claim, Mr. Aboagye told a news conference here on Monday that the town had made tremendous progress in all the sectors especially, health, education, water and sanitation, market and road construction, sport development, security, judiciary and good governance.

The highlights of development projects and programmes executed at Bekwai since 2001 covered the construction of a new school building, the Islamic Primary School, rehabilitation of the Presbyterian Junior Secondary School and the establishment of an Information, Communication Technology Centre (ICT) at the Seventh Day Adventist Senior Secondary School.

Under water and sanitation, a mechanised water supply system has been provided and two refuse tractors plus 16 refuse containers acquired to facilitate refuse collection and disposal.

Additionally, about 16 improved sanitary systems have either been constructed or rehabilitated in various parts of the town including Pramaso, Kokyerekrom, Cemetery Area, Central Market, Brosase, Zongo, Nyameduase, BD, Nampansa, Hospital Area and Asokwa.

Other projects include the completion of the Central Market, construction of a library and Abattoir, rehabilitation of the town’s major roads, construction of the Bekwai-Kuntanase and Bekwai-Abodom roads and improved electricity supply.

But perhaps, the most welcome news for the people is the current progress of the constructional work on the long-delayed Anhwiankwanta-Praso road, a vital one linking Bekwai to the Kumasi-Obuasi road, and arrangements being finalised for the construction of an ultra-modern hospital for the town.

Flanked by Mr. Kofi Opoku-Adusei, Member of Parliament for Bekwai who is also the Deputy Minister of the Local Government and Rural Development and Mr. Joe Orchill, Presiding Member of the District Assembly, the DCE also touched on an allegation that the District Assembly was stalling the construction of the offices of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) at Bekwai.

The DCE, among other issues, explained that because the site acquired by SSNIT for the project has not been re-zoned and approved by the statutory Planning Committee of the District Assembly, the Assembly allocated another and much bigger site to SSNIT for the project which was inspected and accepted by its top district officials.

He claimed that it would be difficult for SSNIT to undertake its project at the original site which is part of an area with an existing layout already occupied by a number of structures including the Assembly’s warehouse, a school building and houses.

Clinging to his assertion that 'Bakwai, since the pre and post independence eras, has not witnessed rapid and vigorous pace of development compared to the past six years of the Kufuor administration, the DCE was emphatic that the nation’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations would be highly patronised by the chiefs and people of the district because the 'development scent' is all over the district.