UPPER MANYA DISTRICT PROJECTS ON COURSE (PAGE 14, DEC 28)

A NUMBER of development projects that would transform the Upper Manya District unto one of the best in the Eastern Region in terms of social amenities have been completed with others being at the last stages of completion.
The projects, estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of cedis, and being funded by the assembly, the government and donor agencies, include school buildings, roads, clinics, residential accommodation for staff of the assembly.
The district, carved out of the Manya Krobo District less than two years ago, lacked a number of social amenities, especially at Asesewa, the district capital.
In view of that, the district assembly, under the direction of Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, the District Chief Executive (DCE), initiated a programme to complete all viable ongoing projects and start new ones in almost all the communities.
Addressing the assembly meeting at Asesewa recently, Mr Angmor told the gathering that many of the projects had already been completed, while many more would be completed and handed over to the beneficiary communities as soon as possible.
He named those completed as streetlights, a clinic and a six-unit classroom block at Apimso, Samlesi and Prekumase respectively. He also mentioned conversion of a palm oil factory into offices at Asesewa and an epicentre at Osonson as well as the Asesewa town roads.
Projects he said were near completion were the conversion of a four-unit classroom block into offices to be used by the assembly at Asesewa, a 16-seater KVIP at Sekesua, a revenue office at Otrokpe, and bungalows for the staff of the assembly at Anyaboni.
In addition, he said, a number of social amenities such as classroom blocks, boreholes and feeder roads had been given out on contract in different parts of the districts, and mentioned the 23.5 kilometre Asesewa-Akrusu, the 26.3 kilometre Sekesua-Adwenso and the 20.2 kilometre Prekumase-Abuatsam roads as some of the projects.
Mr Angmor said the assembly had to hasten the work on the projects to improve the living conditions of the people in the area, one of the most deprived in the region.
With regard to the assembly’s finances, he said it had received a total of GH¢1,363,946.00 as its share of the Common Fund for 2009, while GH¢19,098.00 had been mobilised as an internally generated revenue, which was targeted at GH¢205,200, representing 9.3 per cent of the budgeted figure and was hopeful that more would be added to it by the close of the year.
On the National Youth Employment Programme, the DCE said currently, 234 persons had been engaged in teaching, sanitation and waste management as well as in health modules.
The DCE, who dwelt on other areas, such as afforestation, the National Service Scheme and teenage pregnancy, called on the assembly members, traditional authorities and opinion leaders to support the assembly to carry out its development programme to improve the lot of the people.