The Asahnti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, has stressed that metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) and their co-coordinating directors who fail to meet key performance indicators for the development of their regions will be sanctioned.
The indicators include strengthening the decentralisation system of governance, deepening democratic participation, providing leadership and policy direction for poverty alleviation and wealth creation and ensuring proper waste management.
Hon Osei Mensah was speaking at the opening of Ashanti regional Co-ordinating Council meeting held on Thursday, 5th July 2018 at the RCC conference room with key functionaries at the regional and the district levels.
The participants included the Deputy Regional Minister, Hon. Elizabeth Agyemang; MMDCEs, co-ordinating directors, presiding members, heads of departments and units and representatives of the Regional House of Chiefs.
They interacted and shared ideas on various innovative solutions they have to adopt to accelerate developments in the region.
“It is about time we started sanctioning officials who are not working,” he said, adding that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision was to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa, “but we are not working towards the achievement of that vision. Accra has even become dirtier than it used to be”.
Hon Osei Mensah said the council was working, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, to administer sanctions to ensure that persons who were given responsibilities in the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the region stepped up their game.
Security situation in the region
The minister said, the security situation in the region is generally calm adding that the statistics from the Ghana Police Service, crime rate in the region is on the decrease. ‘’The region is peaceful and calm and business goes on without hindrance’’, he observed.
But the Ashanti regional Minster, however admitted that, the region experienced some pockets of disturbances in some communities including Ahwiaa, Foase and Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School.
Flagship programmes
Hon Osei Mensah said, the NPP government under Nana Addo has delivered on most of its ambitious promises and policies to ensure that living conditions of our people, particularly those in our rural areas become better.
He mentioned “The one district, one factory”, One Village, One Dam” and One million dollars per constituency annually, the Free SHS policies and the Planting for Food and Jobs policies that can accelerate our socio-economic development for the benefit of Ghanaians and Ashanti region in particular.
Infrastructure Programme for Poverty Eradication (IPEP)
According to Hon Simon Osei mensah, Under Infrastructure Programme for Poverty Eradication (IPEP) policy, the Development Authorities for the various belts have been inaugurated by H.E. the President to oversee the implementation of the IPEP programme for the disbursement of the one million one constituency initiative in fulfillment of commitment made to the development of the country.
He said, the Middle Belt Development Authority under which our region falls, is in place and has had its first meeting as a body to operationalize the activities of the Authority and drawn the road map for the programme.
Creation of new districts and municipals
Mr Osei Mensah announced that thirteen new Municipals and districts have been created and inaugurated on 15th March, 2018 in the region increasing the number of MMDAs in the region to 43.
The districts are Ahafo Ano South West, Atwima Nwabiagya North, Akrofuom, Adansi Asokwa, Obuasi East, Afigya Kwabre North and Amansie South District Assemblies while the Municipal Assemblies are Oforikrom, Kwadaso, Old Tafo, Asokwa, Suame and Juaben. In addition, Atwima Nwabiagya, Asante Akim South, Ahafo Ano North and Kwabre East have also been elevated to Municipal status.
He gave assurance that, the President is the process of appointing Chief Executives for all the newly Created Assemblies.
Environmental Health
The Ashanti regional Minister said, Regional Co-ordinating Council is initiating the regional sanitation drive for the region as a whole to ensure that it remains clean and green. So far the RCC has met with majority of the stakeholders to ensure total involvement in this drive, not only in the metropolis but the region as a whole. When all stakeholders have been met and the media briefed, the program will be launched.
In this regard, all MMDAs have been directed to set up sanitation committees to practice Door to Door refuse collection, Institute measures to mitigate indiscriminate disposal of waste as well as Enforce their bye laws which include sanitation related matters and noise pollution.
Hon Osei Mensah noted that, Environmental Health continues to be a major challenge in the Region adding that the collection rate of solid waste in the region has fallen short of about 30%.
This he said is attributed to apathy and indiscipline among the general public and expressed concern over the waste management challenges faced by the assembly.
“Now that we are in the rainy season, the situation is even worse,” he said, and called for an immediate solution to the problem.
Water
Hon Osei Mensah said, that water supply has been extended to the following communities in the region; Achiase, Amanfrom, Abuahia, Kronum, Apagya, Ohwim, Breman-UGC, Atimatim, Duase, Mfensi, Ntensere, Mampong and Nkwantakese.
‘’All the extensions to these areas are 100% complete. The Ghana Water Company Limited has further drilled 4 boreholes at Tepa which is awaiting mechanization’’, he said .
He revealed that, a One (1) One hundred metre cubit (100m3) capacity pump has also been installed at Nsuta, Beposo, Mampong Midwifery Training School and its environs to improve water supply to these areas.
Health
The Mister noted that, Ashanti region is among those with the worst health infrastructure in the country stressing that there is no regional hospital and the so called district hospitals only qualified to be just health centres. Consequently, all efforts must be made to complete the new Regional and District Hospitals, namely; Sawua, Konongo, Bekwai, Kumawu, Fomena and Tepa hospitals as well as the Military Hospital at Afari.
Roads
Hon Osei Mensah was of the view that, road network in the region is in a very deplorable state but gave assurance the Government is making strenuous efforts to improve upon the total road network in the region.
According to him, several roads have been awarded on contract and more others are at various stages of procurement. This month possibly on the 16th of July, 2018 the President will launch the Kumasi Road Facelift Project.
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