Beneficiaries of GARID project in Greater Accra charged to live up to expectation
The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Dan Botwe, has charged the 17 metropolitan and municipal assemblies (MMAs) in the Greater Accra Region who are beneficiaries of a resilient and integrated development (GARID) project to live up to expectation.
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He said if they failed to deliver on their mandate such as using their internally generated funds (IGF) judiciously as part of the project, they would be denying innocent citizens of their right to essential services such as desilting of drains to prevent floods.
Mr Botwe also said that the GARID funds were likely to be slashed for any non-performing assembly which he said would not augur well for the welfare of the citizenry.
The minister gave the charge in Accra yesterday at the beginning of a five-day working visit to the beneficiary MMAs to assess the progress of work, including ongoing desilting works of drains which forms part of the project.
Areas visited were Ablekuma West, North and Central municipalities.
Ablekuma North
In Ablekuma North, Mr Botwe observed that work had not started although the assembly had received some GH¢420,000 on March 31, 2023, as funding for this year under GARID.
Mr Botwe identified two areas, Darkuman junction and Kwashibu in the municipality where work on two storm drains had been halted.
He said the situation if not attended to immediately could cause flooding in those communities.
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The minister also warned that non-performing officials of the assembly would face sanctions by the Local Government Service, including answering queries on why they under-performed under section 226 of the Local Governance Act 936 of 2016.
In response, the Ablekuma North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Kofi Ofori, said work on the desilting of drains would continue, while the construction of storm drains would start today.
As to why the assembly had not started any work after the release of funds, he gave an assurance that “work will start after completion of the procurement process”.
In all, over $1,300,000 was released to the 17 beneficiary MMAs in tranches over a two-year period to improve the condition and maintenance of secondary and tertiary drains in the Odaw River catchment area.
The project is targeted at improving drainage, solid waste management and provision of infrastructure in priority flood-prone informal settlements within the Odaw River basin.
It is being implemented by the Ministry of Works and Housing, the MLGDRD, and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
Ablekuma West, Central
In the Ablekuma West District, the MCE, George Bray, said the assembly had exhausted its funds in desilting choked drains, gutters and sensitisation programmes.
The Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly was, however, commended by the minister for the judicious use of its funds.
However, when Mr Botwe visited the field around Kaneshie, it was realised that the assembly had desilted only the Takoradi station side of the drains, leaving those around the Abbossey Okai area unattended to.
Generally, the minister said: “ I am happy that at all the three assemblies I visited, they have started sensitising the general public at the market place, churches and mosques on sanitation and flood prevention behaviours.”
He also urged the assemblies to ensure they demolish illegal structures sited on watercourses to prevent flooding.