Ghana's democracy lauded

The Deputy Mayor in Charge of Finance and Administration of Kaag en Braassem, a Municipality of Holland, Mr Frans Schoonderwoerd, has lauded Ghana's democratic dispensation which saw a peaceful change of government during the 2008 Election.

Speaking at the launch of a street-naming and house-numbering project at Kadjebi in the Volta Region on Monday, he said Ghana has an enviable democratic dispensation, stating, "Ghana has an adult democracy.”

According to him, Ghana has proved it has a matured democracy and the whole of Europe is proud of it, especially where in many African countries, civil wars and other political struggles follow elections.

The Deputy Governor expressed hope that the project would enable the Kadjebi District to have its own addresses based on street names and house numbers.

Launching the project, the Kadjebi District Chief Executive, Mr Francis Alifui, said the project would open up the district for effective development planning and easier revenue estimation.

He said their sister-city relationship with Alkamade, now Kaag en Braassem since 2003, has resulted in the district securing a solid waste management project.

The district now has one skip loader, 15 refuse containers and 79 litter bins.

Another project, he said, is the liquid waste management project under which the district was provided with a cesspool emptier, a dumping site, latrine, and support for 46 house-holds to own household latrines, whilst pipe¬borne water has been extended to the Low Cost area in the town.

Under the relationship, a number of hospital beds and beddings have been supplied to the Kadjebi Health Centre; there is also the construction of the Alkamade school, the renovation of the Kadjebi District Assembly Primary School and the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the St Mary Teresa's Hospital at Dodi Papase, as well as the provision of an 80-bed boys' hostel for the Dodi Papase Senior High School.

Mr Alifui said the launch also coincided with the receipt of 89 computers for distribution to junior and senior high schools in the district.

The DCE said the street-naming and house¬ numbering project is part of the Assembly's third project which was the establishment of the District Database System (DDS) to assist in effective planning, budgeting and revenue mobilization.

He was, therefore, displeased with reports that some unscrupulous people have started stealing poles erected to hold the street names and some house numbers. He urged them to put an immediate stop to the practice or face the full rigours of the law when caught.

Mr Alifui pointed out that the names of the streets bear the names of some important personalities who have helped in the development of the district and their partners from Holland.