I’m committed to transforming Upper West Akim — MP

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper West Akim, Emmanuel Drah, has assured his constituents of his commitment to transform the constituency into a vibrant industrial and economic zone.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Thursday , the first-time MP indicated that his office had begun negotiations with stakeholders across various sectors to address the most pressing challenges faced by his constituents

The MP for Upper West Akim noted that although the constituency had lagged in many areas, he was hopeful of turning things around and creating the needed jobs for the teeming youth of the area.

Initiatives

To achieve this goal, he stated that an agreement had been reached between his office and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which has conducted a survey to identify a suitable location for establishing a service centre in the constituency.

Mr Drah explained that “an ECG service centre was essential for the area, which has a population of over 100,000 people. Currently, residents had to travel to Nsawam or Asamankese to report power outages or meter issues.

“With the growing number of industries in the area, including HPW Fresh and Dry Fruit Company and Kasapreko PLC, a reliable electricity supply is crucial for their operations,” he said.

The MP said his office had also reached out and submitted a proposal to the GCB Bank PLC, which would soon survey to determine the feasibility of having a GCB Bank branch in Upper West Akim. 

Commercial activities

Mr Drah argued that the area's large population, including cocoa farmers, teachers, nurses and factory workers, would benefit from having a commercial bank.

He emphasised that although “there is a rural bank in the area, it is not equipped to handle the needs of the growing population and residents currently have to travel to Nsawam or Asamankese to access banking services”.

The MP said, despite the constituency not being a coastal community, he had explored aquaculture opportunities to help young people in the constituency who want to go into fish farming and turn the area into a vibrant aquaculture enclave.

“I met with the Minister of Fisheries, who welcomed the idea of exploring aquaculture opportunities at Adeiso.

The minister tasked the Fisheries Commission to conduct a feasibility analysis, which yielded a positive report, indicating that the business would be viable.” 

Mr Drah also highlighted the significance of the Adeiso Market, which is the second-largest market in the Eastern Region, saying, “The market's economic potential is substantial and hopefully it would benefit from the government’s market enhancement programme”.