The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD), Hon Kwadwo Oppong Ofosu has advised communities to develop ways of identifying and taking sole responsibility of their own developmental needs and use support from the various transfers of resources to ensure sustainable developments as part of effort in strengthening capacity building.
 
He said this could help augment efforts made by various assembly’s through their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) which are basically geared towards ensuring infrastructural development.

The Minister however noted that the recent introduction of transfers of resources such as Common Funds from Central Government has reduce communities ways of identifying problems within their society and also deploying strategies of ensuring constant development.
 
“When common fund and other transfer of resources from central government  were introduce we realized that the self-help spirit that communities had in identifying, designing and implementing their priority needs have being left on us” he lamented.

Hon. Oppong Ofosu noted this after inspecting some completed projects in Amanfopon, Fosuansa and Breman Kokoso communities in the Asikuman-Odoben-Brakwa Constituency.

The projects which received funding from the China and Ghana governments includes an ultra-modern Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High School block at Amanfopon, Clinic and Information Communication Technology (ICT) center for Fosuansa and a library and ICT facilities for Breman Kokoso.

The Minister however expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for their support in strengthening capacity building and improving decentralization of Ghana’s system of governance.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Georgina Nkrumah Aboah disclosed that the projects secured 1.5 million dollars of the total contract sum from the Chinese government whiles 500,000 dollars was realized from the Government of Ghana.

According to the Legislator, such interventions from the Chinese government have helped deepened Ghana’s relationship with China for the past 53 years and hence further called for more of such supports.

She was optimistic the move could go a long way to improve education in the various beneficiary communities and expressed a warm appreciation to the Chinese government and further called for more of such supports.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/Ghanadistricts.com