Fufuo citizens who default harvest pledges to be sanctioned

Fufuo (Ash), Dec. 1, GNA - The Fufuo harvest committee has instituted measures to retrieve all monies and materials pledged by some citizens at last year's annual fund-raising harvest.

Residents who have also defaulted in the payment of the community's special harvest and development levies would also be sanctioned. Mr Godfried Peter Nti, Assemblyman for Fufuo who spoke to the Ghana News Agency at Fufuo near Barekese in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District of Ashanti on Wednesday, said the measures, which included possible court action, would clear the wrong perception by some residents that the harvest committee had misappropriated funds meant for development projects.

He explained that about 90 per cent of pledges made by some non-resident citizens during last year's fund-raising harvest had not been fulfilled and about 60 per cent of the residents had also not paid the special levies.

The situation, he said had stifled the smooth implementation of development programmes initiated to improve the living standard of the people.

Mr Nti added that the situation has also created apathy among some residents especially the youth towards self-help programmes initiated in the community and advised the citizens to donate generously towards the community's self-help programmes.

Mr Richmond Nti, Unit Committee Chairman, said the major concern of the residents was the reconstruction and consequent tarring of the 10-kilometre Fufuo-Barekese feeder road.

He said the community through self-help had spent more than 150 million cedis to put up three classrooms and a library for the local junior secondary school, which had reached the lintel level. The Unit Committee Chairman urged the citizens, especially the non-residents to visit home regularly and to contribute to the development of the community.