Ahinsan to forfeit micro project by Wednesday

Kumasi, April 5, GNA - Residents of Ahinsan, a suburb of Kumasi have until Wednesday, April 7 to commence work on the construction of a 28 million-cedi market project awarded the community under the European Union (EU) micro projects/programmes or forfeit it to a more serious community.

Mrs Lucy Owusu-Ansah, Chief Economic Planning Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), gave the ultimatum following the delay and disagreements among a section of the community over the implementation of the market project.

Mrs Owusu-Ansah, who is also the Micro-Projects Co-ordinator of the KMA, was addressing a forum organised by the Ahinsan assemblyman in Kumasi on Sunday. The forum created a platform for the micro project officials to explain modalities of EU projects to the people.

At the forum, there was a sharp division among the residents with some rejected the siting of 30 market stalls project at an area known as "Twemako" while others endorsed the site as the most appropriate for the project.

Mrs Owusu-Ansah said it was the policy of the EU never to site projects in communities, which have track records of chieftaincy disputes and where land litigations are rife.

Mr Edward Akuamoah-Boateng, assemblyman for Ahinsan, expressed disappointment about the conduct of the residents.

He explained that even though the "Twemako" area was originally a sanitary site, it has now been re-zoned for use as a market and the title legitimately changed for that purpose.

Nana Kwabena Busumuru, Ahinsan Gyasehene, appealed for calm among the residents and urged them to bury their differences and accept the market project for the sake of development and progress of the entire community.