Communities key agents of dev — Ada West DCE

The Ada West District Assembly in the Greater Accra Region has held two separate town hall meetings at Anyamam and Sege for the coastal and inland areas respectively with a call on the communities to fully participate in local governance.

The meetings were primarily aimed at engaging Ada West District Assembly stakeholders in participating, planning and budgeting for 2020 at the sub-district level.

The two meetings were attended by assembly members, chiefs and chief fishermen from the coastal towns and selected opinion leaders across the district.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr Adzoteye Lawer Akrofi, said communities were the key stakeholders and agents of development of the district, and as such the Ada West District Assembly, in line with its mandate of facilitating inclusive stakeholder decision–making and development had identified the participants to help plan for the district.

State policy

He noted with concern that directive principle of the state policy of the Constitution stipulated the establishment of a just and free society by mandating the state, for that matter the district, to make democracy a reality by decentralising the administrative and financial machinery of government, regions, districts and sub-districts and affording all possible opportunities to the people to participate in decision making at all levels of government.

Mr Akrofi hinted that in line with the government’s flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs and One district One factory initiatives, among others, the district was currently attracting investors for the production of salt, caustic soda and related ones as well as agro processing ventures.

On agriculture, he said the assembly in partnership with the Central and Canadian governments was implementing modernised agriculture to ensure adequate and nutritious food was available at all times in the district.

Revenue generation

He said the assembly would continue to devise strategies to improve its revenue generation in order to embark on critical development in the district.

Land for development

Mr Akrofi said even though the assembly was the accredited local authority that oversaw the provision of basic infrastructure and other essential services to the people, it could not afford to buy land to undertake those critical needs. He said other state agencies such as Centre for National Culture (CNC), Driver and Vehicle the Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Land Commission, among others, wanted to open branches in the district but could not afford the prices of the land neither could the assembly afford the prevailing prices of land.

He, therefore, appealed to land owners to consider donating land to the assembly for its critical development.

Communities’ needs

The participants at the engagements enumerated a number of activities and projects they needed at their various communities. These include pre-mix fuel for fisher-folks, sea defence at the coastal area of the district, school infrastructure, landing beach, electricity, expansion of clinic at Anyamam, building of cold store at the coast, sanitation facilities, to mention just but a few.