West Akim Assembly cuts sod for projects
The West Akim Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has launched several development projects aimed at improving the quality of education, healthcare and access to potable water in the municipality.
The assembly said the sod-cutting ceremony for the projects, which took place at the beneficiary communities, including Bunsu, Akateng, Odjarde, Akwadum, Adiembra and Cocoa Station, for the construction of classroom blocks, boreholes and CHPS compounds with nurses’ quarters, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive development across the country.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Paulina Akabila, who was accompanied by the Member of Parliament for Lower West Akim Constituency, Owen Kwame Frimpong, traditional leaders, stakeholders and residents of the beneficiary communities, performed the sod-cutting to mark the commencement of the projects.
Projects
The projects include a six-classroom block with ancillary facilities at Bunsu, a two-unit kindergarten block also at Bunsu, a Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound with nurses’ quarters at Odjarde and seven mechanised boreholes with overhead tanks at Cocoa Station, Adiembra, Bunsu, Akateng, Akwadum and the municipal assembly’s premises.
The contracts for the water projects, awarded to three contractors, are expected to be completed within three months, whilst that for the classroom blocks would take six months to complete, with a guarantee of quality services.
At the sod-cutting ceremony across the beneficiary communities, the West Akim Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Paulina Akabila, stated that the symbolic sod-cutting represented not just the beginning of construction of the facilities for the beneficiary communities, but a renewal of hope for the people in the municipality, as they were promised during the campaign period before the elections last year.
Ms Akabila stressed that each member of the beneficiary communities, as well as the entire West Akim Municipality, had a role to play in ensuring the contractors delivered quality service worth the contract sum.
She, therefore, urged all residents to support and monitor the progress of the work to ensure transparency and quality delivery, adding, “This marks a new chapter in our efforts to bring quality education, healthcare and clean water to our people.
“As the pickaxe hits the ground, it signifies not only the beginning of construction, but also the collective aspirations of the people of West Akim, which depicts a future of hope, improved infrastructure, social well-being and shared prosperity.”
The Member of Parliament, Mr Frimpong, urged the contractors to engage residents to create job opportunities for the youth within the municipality.
He also advised the residents of the beneficiary communities to cultivate a culture of maintenance when the projects were completed and handed over to them, to ensure sustainability.
The MP assured the residents of his constituency that he had put measures in place to secure resources for the rehabilitation and improvement of roads to address the deplorable road conditions in several of the communities.
Traditional leaders and residents in the beneficiary communities expressed their excitement for the development projects, describing them as timely and impactful.
While the traditional leaders commended the assembly for responding to their needs, the residents were happy that the projects, when completed, would enhance their livelihoods and boost their economic activities.
