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MCE touts achievements in 2 years despite challenges

Kintampo North Municipal Assembly is one of the Assemblies in the country bedeviled with numerous challenges making developmental initiatives difficult to implement for the economic betterment of the people.

Date Created : 7/13/2019 1:32:50 AM : Story Author : Stanick Amuzu Kpodo/Ghanadistricts.com

The cosmopolitan district, although blessed with fertile land for agriculture with abundant food stuff and known as the hub of tourism sites in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions, is confronted with lots and loads of challenges.

These spans from administration, finances, inherited debts, chieftaincy disputes, land dispute, revenue mobilization, security, sanitation, amongst others. Since 2007, when it gain its municipal status, the problems keep compounding day in and day out with increasing population, despite, being a beneficiary of all government interventions and policies.

The Assembly finances the Police-Military Joint Patrol team weekly to beef up security in the wake of apprehensions arising from pockets of conflicts and armed robbery cases, which is draining its coffers.

Nevertheless, in an exclusive interview on his two years in office, the Municipal Chief Executive Michael Sarkodie Baffoe outlined a number of completed, ongoing and upcoming projects dotted across the length and breadth of the municipality in a bid to rise against all odds and improve the living condition of the people, following the President’s directive to all MMDCEs to continue all projects started by the previous government.

He conceded that though his tenure had been much more challenging than ever, crippling development, the time had come to end the lamentations and fashion out innovative ways for the development of the area.

He asserted that the people would not look at the challenges encountered at the end his tenure, but the projects and level of improvements in their lives. “I was appointed to solve problems, not to complain”– he said. The MCE’s account covered sectors such as Sanitation, Education, Health, Agriculture and Security, to mention a few.

In tackling sanitation, over six W/C toilet facilities of various capacities totaling over (hundred) 100-Seaters, have been constructed at Babator, Gulumpe, Sunkwa, Fanyimah, New Market and Nwoase areas to fight open defecation. Twenty (20) Zoom Lion large size rubbish containers have been procured and still counting. Clean up exercises have been organized with different groups including churches and drivers to clear filth and chocked gutters.

In the education sector, apart from being beneficiary of national policies such as the Free SHS, Capitation Grant, etc. the Assembly has extended the School Feeding Programme to cover more deprived schools. A number of 6-unit classroom blocks with Teachers’ Bungalows as well as Library have been constructed. Dual desks and packets of roofing sheets were procured and distributed to rehabilitate dilapidated educational facilities for effective teaching and learning.

To improve Health, 2-Unit ultra-modern storey building theatre and CHPS compounds have been completed at Dwere-Gomboi and Kurawurakura as well as rehabilitation of other health facilities. Two States of the Arts Incubators have been provided to the Municipal Hospital.

Agriculture policies such as distribution of 5000 cashew seedlings to farmers under Planting for Export and Rural Development, Mass Mango Spraying exercise, distribution of 50% subsidized fertilizer to farmers under Planting for Food and Jobs, amongst others, are in full implementation.

Roads have been reshaped and construction of broken bridges that were death traps at New Longoro and Sembele with crocodiles threatening the lives of residents near completion.

The Central Administration block of the Assembly is currently undergoing extensive renovation for the first time since its establishment.

Touching on upcoming projects, the MCE disclosed that decisions had been finalized on the construction of Offices for Business Advisory Center, Ghana National Fire Service and the Ambulance Service while the work on the Magistrate Court Complex had already begun. Six unit classroom blocks would be constructed at Cheranda and Atta Akura to enhance education in the area.

To boost security in the area, Police posts have been constructed at Portor and New Longoro to augment the efforts of the Joint Police-Military Patrol team. Fence wall has been constructed around the Kintampo daily market to end the regular reported theft of goods in the market by unscrupulous people.

Michael Baffoe said a lot was being done to improve the lot of the people hence extended invitation to natives of the area including those serving in various capacities across the globe to remember their roots and rally behind the government to develop the area.

He appealed to all factions in disputes to channel all their grievances and aggressions into dialogue in addressing personal concerns to maintain peace.