SOCIAL

LAWRA: MCE Highlights on Performance of Assembly at 3rd Ordinary Meeting
The Lawra Municipal Chief Executive, Bomba-Ire Martin Domotiere has given insight into performance of the assembly over the period at the Assembly's 3rd Ordinary Meeting at Lawra.

Date Created : 12/19/2018 4:14:48 AM : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

Addressing Assembly Members at the meeting, the MCE said; “it is proper to re-assess ourselves regarding targets set, how much has been realised, lessons learnt, and together chart the way forward for improved performance for the years to come”.

He paid glowing tributes to all departed Assembly Members who started the year with them but unfortunately are unable to end it with them. “We shall forever live to remember their love and contributions they offered for the development of this Assembly”.

Mr. Domotiere also commended the staff and Assembly Members for their support, collaboration, guidance and indeed the various roles they played at the Sub-Committees, Executive and other Committee levels, which have brought the development of the Municipal Assembly this far.

“Even though we could not accomplish all we planned to do, we have done our maximum best which I believe will affect our people positively in the medium to long term. We are most grateful to you and we look forward for more and stronger collaboration amongst us as we sail into 2019”.



“Hon. Presiding Member, permit me to also express my heartfelt appreciation and sincere gratitude to our revered Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area - Naa Puowelle Karbo III, my able Heads of Departments, the Security Agencies, and indeed, the general public for peace, unity and relative stability the Municipality has enjoyed during the year under review”.

According to the MCE the Assembly recorded some successes during the period in their quest to developing the municipality. These, he noted, include but not limited to;
A. The elevation of the District to a Municipal status.
B. Successful celebration of 42nd edition of Kobine Festival.
C. Celebration of LAWSEC@50 which was well attended and graced by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
D. Celebration of 60 ODF Communities with Lawra Municipal Assembly taking the 2nd position on the Regional League Table.
E. Opening of bypass road from Goil Filling station cutting across Gbieri, Amburi and Dikpe roads to link up with Nandom road at Mile one.
F. Passing of District Performance Assessment Tool assessment with 92% pass mark.



On the performance of the various sectors, he stated as follows;

PUBLIC SAFETY
The MCE expressed joy that the year is ending without any significant security threat in the Municipality particularly in this last quarter of the year, and thanked all stakeholders particularly the Security Agencies, Assembly Members as well as Traditional Rulers for this milestone achievement. “I will however urge you not to be over complacent with this noble achievement but continue to work harder to maintain the peace in the Lawra Municipality into 2019 and beyond. I am grateful to announce that the Municipal Police Command has taken delivery of a new saloon car to assist in its security works. I therefore wish to use this platform to appeal to the Municipal Command to ensure that the vehicle is well maintained to enable it last longer.

He also announced plans to initiate the process to establish community watch committees in Bagri, Lawra town, Babile and Eremon to complement the efforts of the Security Services.

REVENUE MOBILIZATION (IGF)
On the Assembly’s finances, the MCE disclosed that as at the end of November, 2018, the Assembly was able to rake in an amount of One Hundred and Twenty Seven Thousand and Fifty-Two Ghana Cedis (GHC127,052.00) out of an annual target of One Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Three Ghana Cedis Sixty Pesewas (GHC173,423.60) representing 73.26% of the annual target. The figures below indicates the above mentioned in summary
1. Lawra town council -10,229.00
2. Babile/Birifoh- 25,241.00
3. Eremon - 1,458.00
4. Zambo - 1,620.00
5. Treasury - 111,621.00
Grand total =127,052.00

He said the above figures show that more work needs to be done in Eremon and Zambo area councils. “I wish to commend the taskforce for their commitment in executing the assignment”.

EDUCATION
There are a few significant changes after our last meeting in September, 2018; celebration of LAWSEC @50, handing over of a KVIP to LAWSEC, construction of a KG at Kuoli M/A Primary by the Member of Parliament, he stated.

It is also refreshing to mention that the Ministry of Education has visited Birifoh SHS to assess the land size for the following projects; boys and girls dormitories, administration block, dining hall, and two staff bungalows following the announcement by the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the LAWSEC @50 celebration.

“I am also happy to inform you that there has been a marginal improvement in our Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) of 20.6% over the last year of 16.4%. I must indicate that the situation is still not the best notwithstanding all the efforts and interventions put in place by the Assembly, the Hon. Member of Parliament, and the Directorate of Education amongst others”.

He informed the House that the Assembly has received a BIG BLESSING from the Presidency on the construction of the Assembly Hall Complex for Lawra Senior High School following a request for available land for the project. The Assembly in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council have started the procurement processes and will be unveiling to Hon. Assembly Members as and when the processes are completed.

WATER AND SANITATION
On water and sanitation, the MCE said, in order to curb the frequent breakdown of boreholes, the Assembly intends to offer technical training to its Water and Sanitation Management Committee Members early next year. The Assembly has recently completed and handed over Nine (9) boreholes that were funded under the District Development Facility package.

“We have also facilitated the drilling and construction of 1No borehole at Eremon-Tangzu which was funded by the Ministry of National Security to mark the celebration of World Toilet Day.

It is also important for me report on the IPEP projects ongoing in the Municipality that the eight (8) mechanised boreholes have been drilled awaiting mechanisation while the seven (7) toilets have also reached various stages of completion”.

A consultant has been procured by Community Water and Sanitation Agency to commence siting work on the Small Town Water System Project at Eremon and Domwine. Similarly, funding arrangements are been made towards the construction of the fifty (50) boreholes next year under AF-SRWSP, he disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Municipality has declined from its 2nd position to 4th position in the Community-Led Total Sanitation league table at the recent ranking by the Regional Environmental Health Directorate. “This implies that we are most unlikely going to attain our targeted Open Defecation Free status at the end of 2019 if we fail to work harder than before. I would therefore like to appeal to the Environmental Health Unit to redouble their efforts in this regard”.

The MCE reminded the House that they have written to all house owners in Lawra Township whose houses are without toilet facilities since October, 2018 giving them a 6-month ultimatum to construct toilets in their houses. This means that after March, 2019 the Assembly will begin to take very stringent measures to ensure that all house owners comply with this directive. Ten (10) communities have also been triggered under UNICEF. I therefore urge all Honourable Assembly Members to support this initiative which I believe will go a long way to improve the sanitation situation in the Lawra Township.



AGRICULTURE
The Municipal version of the 34th edition of the National Farmers Day celebration was successful held on Friday, 7th December, 2018 at Eremon-Tangzu. “I wish to use this opportunity to thank all of you for the massive turn out at the programme. Hon. Members, in the first quarter of 2019, staff of the Department of Agriculture will move out to take data on crops and livestock with the inclusion of creating a database for the Municipality. I am appealing to you to offer them your unflinching support when they get to your electoral area”.

He raised concerns about the activities of illegal mining, rosewood logging and bush fires in some communities in the Municipality as a serious threat to Agricultural sustainability and called for people to stand up to the challenge.

SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty
The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development within the year under review made Four (4) LEAP payments covering the 54th, 55th and 56th cycles. The 57th tranche of payment started on the 10th of December, 2018 and is still on-going. We also celebrated Persons With Disabilities day on 6th December, 2108.

Business Advisory Centre (BAC)
On Local Economic Development, the Business Advisory Centre in collaboration with the Department of Cooperatives and the Department of Agriculture facilitated the move by Kakaltuo Young Farmers’ Cooperative Society at Eremon to be supported with a Try-Cycle under this project. The Try-Cycle is to support the Farmers cart Farm Produce from their farms to Markets Centres in the Municipality.

The Centre also provided business counseling and extension services to 50 Farmers Based Organizations in the Municipality. They were advised on good group management practices and how to invest in viable income generational activities.

Besides these interventions, the Business Advisory Centre in collaboration with the Lawra Rural Bank Limited assessed the financial needs of 34 Farmers Based Organizations made-up of 551 members with the intent to link up with the REDF for financial support.

HEALTH
Although there are still gaps in the health care delivery in the Municipality, the service has slightly improved following improved reimbursement from the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Assembly released the Tanchara CHPS Compound to the Municipal

Health Directorate for use while arrangements are being made for the official handing over of the facility any time soon. “Also, following the recommendations by this House, the Lorry Park at Furo has been released to Municipal Director of Ghana Health Service to be used in the interim as a CHPS Compound. The committee on the new lorry park project has started a sensitization drive with the shop owners at the daily market. Report from the committee revealed readiness of the shop owners to relocate and pave way for the construction of the project in the daily market”.

“I am equally grateful to inform you that the Municipal Health Committee has been reconstituted and has so far met twice. The Lawra Hospital and Babile Polyclinic were also peer reviewed so as to standardize and improve services to clients. I am happy to report that they performed well”.

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT
Hon. Presiding Member, work is ongoing in Birifoh, Babile-Baagangn, Bagri, Zopaal, Soriguon-Naburnye, Bompare-Dazuuri communities. It is our hope that more communities would be considered when the additional contractor is procured.

ROADS
On roads, the following roads have been awarded for work to commence; Eremon-Baazuing, Eremon-Dazuuri-Tom, Eremon-Naanyaari-Kalsagri-Babile, Yagtuuri-Tangpuori, Lawra town roads, Babile-Birifoh and Tolibri-Mettow-Yipaala. Lawra-Domwine and Domwine-Koh road are under the Synohydro project.



YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
The National Youth Employment Agency over the period has undertaken some activities to better the lots of the people of this Municipality.

Hon. Presiding Member, to ensure sanity in the operationalization of the agency, a periodic head count of beneficiaries of Zoomlion workers in the Municipality was carried whilst additional 64 people were recruited to augment the staff strength of the agency, bringing the total number to 218 under the Sanitation Module of the programme.

Under Community Protection Personnel, a total of 54 out of 57 beneficiaries have received their uniforms on the 13th of November, 2018.

With respect to the Youth in Sports Module 17 young men and women have been recruited with 2 of them completed their training while the remaining 15 are still on training at Winneba Sports College and Bukom Sports Complex in the Central and Greater Accra Regions respectively.

As part of Government's plans to make teaching of Arabic Language examinable in Arabic Schools, 14 Arabic teachers have been recruited from all the 4 Zongo Communities in the Municipality in November, 2018 and validated.
NABCO- A total of 167 person's have been recruited under various modules. Payment to beneficiaries have commenced and we must all supervise them at our various electoral areas to put up their best.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Executive Committee of the Lawra Municipal Assembly met on Tuesday,4th December, 2018 and deliberated the recommendations of the various sub-committees. The following recommendations were for your consideration;
1. That the Assembly should procure lands for future developmental projects (Land Banks).
2. That the Assembly should contact contractors working in Lawra to appeal to them to level the market area.
3. That the Assembly should fast-truck the acquisition of the industrial park.
4. That the Assembly should contact/appeal to the contractor on the Lawra-Nandom stretch road to fix the deadly uncompleted bridge at Oribili.
5. That a tax-force be formed in all the Electoral Areas to control bush burning.
6. That Environmental Health Assistants be posted to Domwine and Boo.
7. That the Development Planning Committee, Social Services Sub-Committee and the Secretariat should form a Committee and meet with the land owners on the issue with the Lorry Park to be situated adjacent the Assembly building immediately.
8. That a vehicle be provided for the Works Department for monitoring and supervision.
9. Bills of Quantities of contract documents of all on-going projects should be submitted to Works Sub-Committee.
10. Change of Usage of Lorry Park at Furo

That the usage of the above mentioned project should be changed to a Health Centre for the people of Furo and surrounding Communities.

However, the Committee advised that the Lawra Municipal Assembly give the structure to the Ghana Health Service on temporal basis; whilst the Assembly think of a better usage in future.
11. Permanent Lorry Park Project for Lawra
That the Municipal Assembly should do due- diligence by involving all stakeholders (the GPRTU, Chiefs, Youth, Women and Opinion Leaders) to select a litigation free land to construct a permanent Lorry park in future.
12. Motorbikes for Assembly Members
That the Lawra Municipal Assembly should fast truck the process of providing Motorbikes for Assembly Members to enable them perform the work in their Electoral Areas effectively.
13. Establishment of Business Resource Centre (BRC)
That the Municipal Chief Executive should collaborate with the Member of Parliament to contact the REP so that Lawra Municipal can be considered in the next pilot phase of the BRC.
14. That the Municipal Environmental Health Unit should design a fumigation chart to enable them monitor the activities of Zoomlion in the Municipality.
15. That the Assembly should take steps to recover items taken away by officers who have moved out of the Guest House.
As I conclude, I wish to echo the commitment of the Assembly to meeting the desire needs of the good people of this Municipality. All what we expect from you is your unflinching support, cooperation, collaboration and above all your expect advice.

He cautioned the people about the dry season and urged them to be careful not to further destroy the already depleted vegetation. "Let us all join the campaign against bush burning in our Municipality".