New Sene East District inaugurated
Kajaji (B/A), June 29, GNA – Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has inaugurated the newly-created Sene East district with a plea to the chiefs and people to help maintain peace and order for the accelerated development of the area.
He stressed that by the creation of the new district, decision making has been brought closer to the doorsteps of the people, who with a unified front would have to initiate projects and programmes to propel the district's development.
The four traditional areas in the new district, Wiase, Bassa, Nkomi and Dwan, came up with a petition of the new district, but the choice of Kajaji as its capital sparked a demonstration about three weeks ago by especially the people of Bassa against the decision.
The Regional Minister read President John Atta Mills' address at the ceremony.
A contingent of security personnel were deployed in the area to ensure peace and order at the inauguration of the new district at Kajaji.
Residents of communities in the Bassa area paraded the main road that run through their towns, clad in red apparel, head and arms bands and displayed placards that indicated their displeasure at the choice of Kajaji as the capital of the new district.
Despite a downpour, the inauguration of the new district went on, but conspicuously absent were the chiefs and people of the areas that opposed the choice of Kajaji, which lies close to the Volta River.
Mr Nyamekye Marfo stressed the new district abound in potentials for the creation of employment avenues for the teeming youth and urged the chiefs and people of the four traditional areas to bury their differences and support the Assembly to utilize the potentials for their benefit.
In a welcome address, Mr Dominic Napare, Sene District Chief Executive, said the new district carved out of Sene District would increase the number of stakeholders, who could all help to lobby for development.
“That is to say the hitherto Sene District shall now have two Members of Parliament, two district chief executives, two district assemblies and two presiding members, who would individually and or collectively champion the course of development of the area.
“In the nutshell, the creation of the district is a catalyst for development, which suffices to say that there is no loser but only gainers,” he said.
The DCE disclosed the new district would receive GHc1, 000,000 from the government as the other 45 other newly-created districts, as seed money to start building the foundation of development.
Mr Napare said the Sene East district would develop at an unprecedented rate, noting “if we begin and continue to see each other as partners in development, instead of foes divided by politics, ideological differences, chieftaincy and other considerations”.
He stressed that the destiny of the people in the district was contingent on the collective effort of all, so the people should always know they had a common purpose to fight against poverty and under-development.
Mr. Eric Addae, Asutifi District Chief Executive, said on Thursday nine personalities in the newly created Asutifi South District were lobbying for the position of Chief Executive.
He emphasized that the carving out of the new district from Asutifi was purposely done to facilitate development and advised the lobbyists and their supporters to make unity their hallmark to accelerate the development of the area.
Mr. Addae was speaking at the inauguration of the Assembly of the new district, which has Hwidiem as its capital.
When President John Evans Atta Mills initially chose Hwidiem as the capital town of the district, most of the people in the area, especially the traditional authorities, strongly opposed the decision.
The large number of chiefs, who attended the inauguration of the new district, was said to be an indication that the development of the new district was very paramount to the people.
Mr. Addae asked the people not to allow the position of the DCE be a source for unnecessary enmity amongst them since it could have the potential to stall development, adding the creation of the district was not based on partisan lines.
He emphasized that membership of the District Assembly was opened to all irrespective of political inclination and entreated all qualified persons to apply for membership.
Mr. Addae said GHc784,071.07 had been earmarked for the commencement of projects to uplift Hwidiem to its status as district capital.
In addition, two sanitary trucks and a grader machine have been provided to the new Assembly, which has 33 members made up of 10 elected and 23 government appointees, he added.
Mr. Addae advised the Assembly Members to ensure they confirmed any one whom the President would nominate as the DCE as any delay in the exercise would stall development.
As a new district, he said, its Common Fund would increase depending on revenue it could generate internally and advised the Assembly Members to assist in revenue mobilization.
Mr. Addae advised the people, especially petty traders to pay their taxes regularly and promptly so that aside of the Common Fund enough revenue could be accrued locally for development.
Mr. Eric Opoku, Deputy Regional Minister, said Asutifi South was among the districts in the country that had benefited tremendously in the Better Ghana Agenda.
He said from all indications, by the end of 2012 all communities in the district would be connected to the national electricity grid.
Mr. Opoku announced that contracts had been awarded for the construction of the Dadisesoaba-Siekyem-Kwaku Nyima and Kenyasi-Hwidiem roads with work expected to begin by the end of the year.
The Deputy Regional Minister commended the people in the area for their cohesion, which led to the inauguration of the new district and gave the assurance that the Assembly would ensure equitable distribution of resources among the communities.
Mr. Opoku said very soon the major access roads at Hwidiem would be re-shaped and tarred while work on the community centre, which would be used as the assembly's administration block would be completed.
Ms. Cecilia Johnson, a member of the Council of State, who read the President's inaugural address expressed satisfaction with the attendance at the ceremony and asked the people to maintain the spirit of unity and oneness.