Tano South witnesses infrastructural development 

The Tano South Municipality is one of the fastest developing and most vibrant municipalities in the newly-created Ahafo Region.

The municipality has witnessed massive infrastructural developments, especially educational facilities, to reduce its infrastructural deficits, over the years.

It was, therefore, not surprising that the municipality was selected to host the Ahafo Regional Education Office to coordinate educational activities when the Ahafo Region was created.

These came to light, when the Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, embarked on a two-day working visit to the municipality, as part of his 12-day working visit to the six districts and municipalities in the region.

Inauguration

As part of the visit to the municipality, Mr Boakye inaugurated four different projects in the municipality, inspected projects and subsequently cut sods for the construction of new projects in the area.

The inaugurated projects were a six-unit classroom block, ancillary facilities for the Achiase D/A Primary School and a six-unit classroom block for the Techimantia Presbyterian Primary "B" School.

Others were a two-unit classroom block for the Dwomo R/C Kindergarten School and Techimantia District Police Headquarters at Techimantia to reduce crime in the area.

New projects

Mr Boakye also laid blocks for the construction of another three-unit classroom block with stores and offices for the Ohianimguase D/A Primary School and the construction of an abattoir at Bechem.

In addition, the regional minister also inspected projects such as the Enable Youth One-District-One-Factory Palm Oil Processing Factory at Dwomo, the Regional Education Office project at Bechem and some abandoned projects at the Bechem Presbyterian Senior High School.

Road projects

Other projects Mr Boakye inspected were the 40.4-kilometre Bechem-Techimantia-Akumadan road and the rehabilitation of the 26-kilometre Techimantia-Derma-Asuoso road to facilitate movement in the area.

He told journalists that the road project was dear to the hearts of the chiefs and people in the region and pledged the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council's (RCC) support to the contractor for its completion on schedule.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the 40.4-kilometre Bechem-Techimantia-Akomadan road in September 2020 which is being constructed at the cost of 50 million Euros.

However, the actual construction began in September 2021 and is expected to be completed in August 2023.

On the 26-kilometre Techimantia-Derma-Asuoso road, the Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, Edmund Koku Duodu, explained that the concrete works, filling and U-drains had been completed.

He said the road was being funded by the Cocoa Roads Fund, adding that the projects were expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Working visit

As part of the visit, Mr Boakye paid a courtesy call to the Bechem Traditional Council, Dwomo Traditional Council and Derma Traditional Council to officially introduce himself to the chiefs and people in the areas.

He was accompanied by the Tano South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Collins Offinam-Takyi, and some heads of departments in the newly created region.

At the Bechem Regional Education Office, Mr Boakye said President Akufo-Addo would soon inaugurate the facility and officially hand it over to the Ministry of Education.

He said despite the infrastructure deficit in the region, the various departments had given of their best for the progress of the region.

Appeal

He appealed to the people in the region to pay their taxes to improve the development of the region.

At Dwomo, Mr Boakye appealed to the chiefs and people in the municipality to support the government to develop the region and encouraged the chiefs to continue to monitor government projects to ensure quality and timely completion.

Mr Boakye urged the chiefs and people in the region to be patient, as the government was working hard to bring development to the region.

Bechem town roads

During the courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, the chief appealed to the regional minister to facilitate the completion of Bechem town roads.

He said it was unfortunate that the contractor had abandoned the project after initial works which had deteriorated over time.

Nana Akoto II also appealed for the provision of adequate infrastructure at the Bechem Municipal Hospital to enable it to serve the people better.

He said the facility, which was constructed by the chiefs and people of the area, had never seen any infrastructure development by successive governments.

At Techimantia, the Krontihene of the Techimantia Traditional Area, Nana Ampong Kromantang, called on the government to reshape feeder roads in the area to facilitate the smooth transportation of farm produce to market centres.

He again appealed to the minister to help provide accommodation facilities for the police in the area to check increasing crime incidents.

Development

Speaking to journalists after the two-day tour, Mr Boakye said he was impressed with the level of development in the municipality, commenting that "This means that the assembly is making good use of the little resources given to it".

On the Enable Youth One-District-One-Factory Palm Oil Processing Factory, he said the assembly had completed the physical infrastructure of the facility, while it was in the process of procuring machinery and other tools for their installation.