Mr Ahunu-Armah (middle) reading his report at the assembly sitting while the coordinating director of the assembly (left) and that of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa look on.
The unavailability of office infrastructure for major state outlets has been identified as the greatest problem hampering development in the Gomoa East district of the Central region.
In view of that, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Mr Isaac Kingsley Ahunu-Armah, has appealed for the establishment of office space for many departments to facilitate development in the infant district.
Mr Ahunu-Armah mentioned the Electoral Commission (EC), Information Service Department (ISD), Co-operative Department, the District Agricultural Development Unit (DADU) and some other agencies which are vital as some of the departments waiting to be allocated offices in the district.
He however pointed out that an abandoned structure belonging to Achiase Orphanage has been secured to be refurbished for the DADU to use as office to complement government’s effort at promoting agriculture in the country.
The DCE said this during the second ordinary meeting of the second session of the Gomoa East assembly at Gomoa Afransi over the weekend.
Mr Ahunu-Armah disclosed that as a way of improving education in the district, the assembly has released GH¢4,300 to support the Ghana Education Service to organise a mock examination for Junior High School students in the area to get acquainted with the examination condition.
He added that government has also provided the district with 56,000 exercise books to be distributed to school children in the area.
He further added that two new Senior High Schools are being constructed to raise the standard of education in the area.
He stated that 11 different projects including the renovation of Dominase Junior High School at the cost of GH¢51,850 and the extension of electricity to Abonyi teachers quarters and Abaase clinic also at the cost of GH¢30,000 have been awarded on contract for the year.
Mr Ahunu-Armah described the internal revenue generation situation in the district as very bad saying out of the estimated budget of GH¢138,685, the assembly was able to collect only GH¢ 50,885.
He also bemoaned the bad attitude of some police officers in the district who deliberately refuse to response to the distress calls of residents.
He cited for instance a situation where some female students of the Pan African University College at Winneba were robbed and raped when the police refused to respond to their call because they claimed they did not have any means of transport to move to the location.
According to him, the robbers attacked again the next day but for the timely intervention of the Fire service who rushed there with their siren blaring to scare the robbers away, the situation would have been different.
The Paramount Chief of Gomoa Afransi, Obrempong Nyanful Krampah, appealed to the district assembly to establish a district fund to sponsor needy but brilliant students in the area.
Obrempong pledged to release lands to the assembly to establish a library in the district to promote education.
He advised assembly members to desist from keeping materials meant for development projects in their electoral areas as personal properties to be able to give the needed development to their localities.
STORY: FROM MAGDALENE SEY, GOMOA AFRANSI
