Five years of Atwima Mponua District

BARELY FIVE years ago, the Atwima Mponua District was carved out of the Atwima Nwabiagya District, as one of the 28 newly-created district assemblies established by Legislative Instrument (L.I. 1785) of 2004.

The district, which has a population of 130,000, is situated in the western part of the Ashanti Region, with Nyinahin as its capital.

With a voter population of 65,000, Atwima Mponua constitutes the constituency represented in Parliament by Isaac Kwame Asiamah.

The District Assembly comprises 35 electoral areas, with some of its major settlements being Mpasatia, Otaakrom, Tano-Odumase and Anwiafutu.

There are 11 Area Councils, including the one at Kuffuor Camp, and the Nyinahin Town Council.

The people are mostly farmers, and about 75% of the labour force is in the agricultural sector. There is one rural bank at Nyinahin and Mpasatia, which facilitates economic and financial services.

With the exception of Nyinahin and Mpasatia, which enjoy pipe-borne water, the communities rely on bore-holes, hand dug wells, streams and rivers for sources of drinking water.

The district boasts of 11 health facilities in five sub-district locations. These are the Nyinahin District Hospital, Barniekrom Maternity Home, Bayerebon Health Centre under Nyinahin, the Sreso Health Centre at Sreso-Tinpom, Saakrom Health Centre, Victory Maternity Home at Mpasatia, Community Health Clinic Mpasatia, The Word Maternity Home at Anyinamso, under Saakrom sub-district, as well as the Gyereso Health Centre, Anglican Health Centre at Tano-Odumase, and the St. Peter's Clinic at Ntoboroso.

Official records indicate that the district has 36 nursery/kindergarten schools, 94 primary schools, 43 Junior High schools (JHS) in the public sector, while the private schools have a nursery and kindergarten, nine primary and two JHS.

There are only two Senior High Schools and a Technical/Vocational (ICEES) in the district, according to the Ghana Education Service statistics at Nyinahin. Agencies and departments currently operational in the district, include the Central Administration (District Assembly), headed by the Chief Executive, in the person of Madam Theresa Adomako.

Others departments are Education and Sports, District Health Management Team, Food and Agriculture, Town and Country Planning, Social Welfare and Community Development, Works, NADMO, Ghana Police Service, Tribunal and Circuit Court as well as two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and Network for the Empowerment of the Poor (NEPO).

Over the years (2004-2008), development projects have sprung up in the electoral areas under various interventions, including the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), Highly Indepted Poor Countries (HIPC), Government of Ghana (GoG) Road Fund, SIF, KFW-RWSP-IV and African Development Bank (AfDB).

These projects include clinics, boreholes, classroom blocks, teachers' quarters, KVIP latrines and a community library.

Two modern community markets have been constructed at GH¢200,000 each at Otaakrom and Mpasatia, while a GH¢61,900 community library and a GH¢973,900,000 6-unit staff quarters have been completed at Nyinahin, among others.