The Agona West Municipal Assembly has held a town hall meeting to account to stakeholders on development projects envisaged by the end of 2023.
The meeting also formed part of efforts to deepen local governance and afforded stakeholders the opportunity to make contributions and suggestions targeted at development of the Municipality.
It was attended, among others, by Assembly members, heads of Department, Drug store operators Association, Ghana Tailors and Dress Makers Association, Artisans, Garages, Market Queens Association, Driver Unions.
Mr Evans Addison Onomah Coleman, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Agona West, touted numerous programmes and projects the Assembly had undertaken in the past years and new planned projects for this year.
The MCE said the Assembly for the past years provided dual desks, tables and chairs to Senior and Junior High schools in the Municipality.
He disclosed that it had also constructed new school blocks and rehabilitated existing structures to enhance quality teaching and learning.
He disclosed that the assembly as part of efforts to motivate more doctors to accept postings to the Municipality had constructed bungalows and handed over the health directorate to improve quality healthcare delivery system.
Mr Coleman said as part of the efforts to fulfil the mandate of Persons with Disabilities (PWD), a percentage of the District Assembly Common Fund, members had received wheelchairs and other valuable items to improve their living standards.
The MCE said the Assembly was among 25 Assemblies selected out of 261 MMDAs nationwide for excellent performance in its operations and had benefited from Ghana Secondary City Support Programme (GSCSP), a World Bank programme.
He hinted that as part of the excellent performance, the Assembly had received a World Bank loan facilitated by the government under the Ghana Secondary City Support Programme and it would be used to undertake projects.
Mr Coleman said the Assembly would use major part of it to construct 180 lockable stores at Swedru Mandela Market to improve trade and commerce activities in the Municipality.
The MCE said the funds would also be used to expand Mandela market structures to create more space to operate daily market instead of two days in a week.
He said the Assembly had decided to use part of the facility to construct some major town roads to reduce heavy traffic congestions which occurred in the central business district on market days.
The roads are K.E. Junction to Pipe Tank, Alhmadiyya Hospital to Pipe Tank / Zongo , and Pipe Tank/ Christ the King Preparatory School.
Mr Coleman announced that decongestion exercise would soon be carried out at the back of Swedru Central market road, where traders had displayed their wares to block the road.
He said it had become necessary for the exercise to be carried out because it had become difficult for vehicles plying the road linking Swedru/Dwenho to the main Swedru/ Awutu Bawjiase trunk to have smooth thoroughfare.
The MCE appealed to all stakeholders, especially politicians, not to politicize the exercise to ensure its success to help maintain the beauty of the Municipality.
Nana Kweku Esieni V, Regent of Agona Swedru, who presided over the meeting, urged the people promptly respond to calls for town hall meetings by the Assembly to give account of its stewardship to know the progress of development.
He bemoaned the people’s perception about the Assembly operations, especially on revenue collection, adding this was an opportunity for them to ask questions from the Management of the Assembly.
Nana Esieni, who is also Nifahene of Agona Swedru, said the people complained that the Assembly misused tolls collected from them and that there was no need to pay as workers in the Municipality.
The Regent assured Management of the Assembly that the Swedruman Council would support any decision that would bring development and transformation into lives of the people.
