DCE, MP visit 20 communities
Compiled by Alfred Adams
In a bid to send decentralisation to the doorstep of the people at the grassroots, heads of departments at the Ellembelle District Assembly have paid a one-week official visit to 20 communities in the district.
The visit saw the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and the District Chief Executive (DCE) in attendance.
The District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Daniel K. Eshun, explained that the visit was to accord the community members the opportunity to interact with the heads of departments, and also know where to channel their problems when necessary.
He called on youth without skills to learn a trade to be self dependent, adding that the emergence of businesses in the district would require the services of people who had skills in catering and other vocations, and therefore called on them to take up the challenge.
He used the opportunity to explain the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) to the community members, and called on them to take the opportunity to gain a livelihood.
Mr. Eshun appealed to the chiefs and people to rekindle the communal spirit and clean their environments, adding that the Assembly had procured four additional Zoomlion refuse containers, and as it would not be enough to serve all the communities, it was essential to organise communal labour to complement the Assembly's efforts.
He observed that revenue generation of the Assembly had declined, and so prevailed upon the people to pay revenue for the Assembly to meet their developmental needs.
The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Deputy Minister for Energy, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, at one of the communities, expressed worry about the inadequacy of teachers in the district, adding the realisation of having doctors and engineers among others in the district, would remain in the shadows, since the district cannot get qualified personnel to teach students in the basic schools.
He explained that reports from the Education Directorate indicate that only three trained teachers were posted to the district this year, which, according to him, could affect the academic performance of the students.
He revealed that a Police Marine Training School would be established in Aiyinase, with support from the United States of America, adding that if the students in the constituency do not get a good foundation, they would not be able to take up such opportunities, and therefore, prevailed upon parents to take the education to their wards serious, and complement the efforts of the government.
He also promised to liaise with the Energy Ministry to extend electricity to all the parts of the communities that needed extensions, and called on the communities to also replace the street light bulbs that were not working, and not always depend on the Assembly and the MP for replacements.
The District Director of Education, Mrs. Caroline Diana Gyimah, pointed out that upon the advice of the Directorate, the MP had registered 140 at the cost of GH¢8,000 for the private exams in the core subjects, but expressed worry about the failure of students to attend classes, and appealed to parents to encourage their wards, who were fortunate to get the opportunity, to attend classes.
She also called on students to take their studies serious so as to become useful to their community and the country at large.
The Chief of Ampain, Nana Nyameke Fofole II, thanked the MP and his entourage for the visit, and appealed to them to make it a routine one, adding that it was the first experience of their community in having the whole Assembly at their doorsteps, and was optimistic that more of such visits would make the members feel a part of the Assembly.