The Municipal Chief Executive for West Akim Municipal Assembly, Hon. Seth Oduro Boadu has listed greater achievements by the West Akim Municipal Assembly for the past years.
The West Akim Municipal Assembly has held its general meeting as means of deliberating on the progress of the municipality.
Hon. Seth Oduro delivered the sessional address, covered the following thematic areas:
General Security, Administration, District Assemblies Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT V), Ghana Secondary Cities Support Program (GSCSP)
Others were, Financial and Revenue Performance, Local Economic Development, Education, Health, Road Rehabilitation, Agriculture.
The rest were; Water, Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management, Stakeholders Engagement and Windstorm Disaster.
GENERAL SECURITY
The MCE, according to his report, established that the municipality through the resilience and commitment of members of the security council has enjoyed some considerable peace and the needed security required for good social co-existence of residents.
This paved the way for the successful celebration of Obuodwan festival by the Asamankese Traditional Council and the celebration of Adehyedae Kesie festival by the people of Anum-Asamankese, the MCE reiterated.
The Municipal Police Commander was commended for his efforts at curtailing the springing up of Ghettos in the municipality.
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
According to the MCE the Assembly recorded a total staff strength of two hundred and seven (207). Out of this figure One hundred and eighty (180) staff are on Government of Ghana Payroll while Twenty-seven (27) are casual staff.
A further segregation of this figure from his report reveals One hundred and thirty – seven (137) as males and seventy (70) as females. In the year under review (2022), thirteen (13) staff were assigned to the Assembly to boost the human resource capacity which comprised eight newly recruited staff and five (5) serving staff from other Districts.
In the same vein, four (4) of the staff were transferred.
2021 DISTRICT ASSEMBLY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT TOOL (DPAT V)
From the report, the Assembly scored 95% in the 2021 District Assemblies Performance Assessment Tool. He said the allocated funds to the Assembly have since been committed to addressing the numerous challenges confronting the educational sector in the West Akim Municipality.
GHANA SECONDARY CITIES SUPPORT PROGRAMME (GSCSP)
The MCE said the Assembly underwent another assessment for the Ghana Secondary Cities Programme for the year 2020 and 2021. He said it was refreshing to note that the Assembly secured 54% and 60% out of a total percentage score of 75% for the year 2020 and 2021 assessments respectively.
According to the MCE an amount of GHC350,000.00 and GHC5,590,000.00 for capacity and Investment components had been allocated to the Assembly adding that only a portion of the capacity component had been released by the Ministry of Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development.
FINANCIAL AND REVENUE PERFORMANCE
A summary of the Municipal’s revenue performance indicators from his report are as follows:
- Out of a total budgeted revenue of GHC19,357,672.23 for the year 2022, GHC12,450,309.19 was accrued which represented 64.32%
- Revenue from Internally Generated Fund (IGF) was GHC2,582,484.53 out of the total budgeted estimate of GHC2,895,640.00 representing 89.19%
- Government of Ghana (GOG), Grants and other transfers amounted to GHC9,867,824.66 representing 60% of the projected amount of GHC16,462,032.23
- Actual expenditure of GHC11,638,711.96 was incurred out of an estimated budget of GHC19,357,672.23 representing 60.12%
The MCE reiterated that the 89.9% IGF performance could not have been possible without the significant contribution from staff of the Assembly.
He said he was optimistic that this year’s revenue mobilization would be better owing to some measures put in place.
EDUCATION
Records showed that there had been a great improvement in the performance of the pupils that sat for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 BECE. The municipality was ranked 33rd in the region for 2020 results and 8th for the year 2021.
The Hon. MCE established that the 2022 result had also been released and even though a comprehensive evaluation was yet to be conducted, there seemed to be ever better performance compared to the previous ones.
He ascribed improvement in the education sector to the immense support from the HON. MP, Mr. Charles Acheampong and the Assembly. He said the revisit of Teachers Awards Day organized by the Hon. MP played a major role in the credible performance by the pupils.
The MCE again, indicated that all the funds for DPAT V, were committed to addressing the infrastructure deficits in the educational sector.
He said the allocated funds had been used to execute the underlisted projects which shall be handed over to the Ghana Education Service in the second quarter of 2023
▪ Construction of 1No. 3-unit classroom Block with ancillary facility at Otwenkwanta at a sum of GHC479,999.18 which was at completion stage
▪ Construction of 1No. 2-unit KG Block with ancillary facilities at Sabon Zongo, Asamankese, at a total cost of GHC399,999.05 and at completion stage
▪ Procurement of 250 No. Dual Desk, 12No. teachers table, 12No. teachers chair, 12No. Pupil Hexagonal table, 72No. Pupil chair, 1No. Metal cabinet at a cost of GHC20,136.55
ROAD NETWORK
The Hon. MCE gave the accounts on roads as follows;
- Rehabilitation of Brekumanso – Daaman Cocoa Road (12km) – (on going)
- Repair works on Asamankese 1st Stop Stretch – (completed)
- Repair works on Asamakese town towards Suhum stretch(1km) – (Ongoing)
- Asphalt overlay on Asamankese township (20km) – (ongoing)
- Construction of broken culvert on Suhum road – (Completed)
- Grass cutting along Osenase – Asuofori – (Completed)
- Rehabilitation of 15km Asamankese town roads by Hardwick Ltd. (ICGC, Golden Child, Bungalow Road) – (Ongoing)
- Rehabilitation of 4km Awaham Junction to Ahawam – (Ongoing at a slower pace)
- Rehabilitation of Asamankese – Akroso Road – (Ongoing)
The MCE indicated that the following road projects had been stalled and abandoned and the Assembly was making frantic efforts to get the issues resolved for the contractors to resume work at the site or have them terminated.
- Rehabilitation of 10km Asamankese town roads by Newcase Company Ltd.
- Rehabilitation of 10km Odjardey-Atta-ne-Atta
- Rehabilitation of 10km Osenase-Akanteng by Ikon Company Ltd.
AGRICULTURE
The MCE in his sessional address further indicated that a total number of 220,000 oil palm seedlings were secured and distributed among farmers in the year 2022. He said the seedling distributed to farmers would cover 3,700 acres of farmland, a total number of 1,500 farmers.
In respect to efforts taken to control the Fall Army Worm on Maize farms, 500 litres and 640 Sachets of assorted chemicals were distributed to 1,020 farmers.
HEALTHCARE
The following statistics were reported under healthcare delivery
▪ The number of insured clients at the Government Hospital stands 81.8% whiles non-insured is 18.2%
▪ One maternal mortality out of 2,804 deliveries
▪ Teenage Pregnancies have increased from 35 to 55
▪ Out of the total number 3,040 screened and counselled, 212 tested positive for HIV comprising 64 males and 148 females
▪ 57,845 (99%) of children under 5 years weighed were found to have normal weight while 220 (0.3%) were identified to be underweight
▪ There were 4,740 diabetic cases comprising 809 males and 3,931 females
▪ No active Covid-19 case at the end of 2022.
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (LED)
From the report, the Assembly has constructed and handed over a 40-units lockable store at Nana Amoh Lane to the original occupants. The house was informed on the new development of the 1D1F enabled Youth Factory for oil palm processing. It was established that the initial purpose of the project has been converted to Cassava Processing Factory due to the inability of the International Fund for Agriculture(IFAD) to purchase oil palm equipment due to its environmental impact.
WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
The services of Zoomlion have been engaged for the management of 2No. final disposal sites of the Municipal in the addition to the monthly disinfestation of refuse dumps, public toilets and government bungalows. A total of 3,456 food vendors were screened and certified. Desilting exercises were carried out at Jamestown, Roman down, Kwahu lane and sections of Osenanse for easy flow of water. These and among others were done in the Assembly’s bid to forestall sanitation in the municipality, the Hon. MCE stated.
STAKEHOLDERS PARTICIPATION
The Hon. MCE indicated the Assembly in the year under review deepened its stakeholder engagements. He recounted a series of meetings which include but not limited to meetings with the Traditional Authorities, Religious leaders, Transport Operators, Traders, etc. There has also been a series of engagements with project affected people on the Ghana Secondary Cities support Project.
WINDSTORM DISASTER
The MCE hinted on a windstorm that occurred in the municipality on the 24th of February, 2023 which caused a lot of damage to schools and some residential buildings and also loss of one life.
The MCE indicated that the current financial status of the Assembly makes it difficult to solely address those challenges, therefore, appealed to individuals and philanthropic bodies to come and support the Assembly.
The Hon. MCE concluded by expressing his profound appreciation towards Mr. Wiiliam Henaku of Pep Sports Limited and Mr. Bismark Kyei Be-Kind for their support.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Solomon Nartey
