Asutifi Assembly to receive 4.5 billion cedis form Common Fund

Kenyasi (B/A), July 15, GNA - The Asutifi District Assembly in Brong Ahafo is to receive 4.526 billion cedis as its share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) for 2004. The Assembly also expects to obtain 2.1 billion cedis from the Government and its traditional sources to execute development projects. Mr Michael Nsiah-Agyapong, District Chief Executive, announced this in his sessional address at the first ordinary meeting of the Assembly at Kenyasi.

He noted that the Assembly had continued to chalk successes, especially in infrastructure development, which he attributed to the interventions of the DACF; Social Investment Fund (SIF), Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Relief Fund and Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund).

The Assembly would focus on infrastructure development in three secondary schools in the District - OLA Girls Secondary School at Kenyasi; Acherensua Secondary School at Acherensua and Gyamfi Kumanin Secondary/Technical School at Wamahinso.

On the Rural Enterprise Project, Mr Nsiah-Agyapong announced that 800 potential and existing entrepreneurs, particularly women, had been registered and efforts were far advanced to introduce the applicants to community-based skills such as snail, mushroom and grass-cutter rearing as well as soap making. A total of 541 applicants have benefited from a Japanese funding with each of them receiving 500,000 cedis at 20 per cent interest rate over one and a half years.

Mr Nsiah-Agyapong said the Assembly was also strengthening efforts to meet the requirements of the Rural Enterprises Development Programme under the President's Special Initiatives (PSI) to participate in the first batch of the fast-track implementation of the farmer-based organisation loan scheme.

He announced that 26 newly trained teachers, who benefited from the Assembly's sponsorship package, had returned to be posted to various schools in the District.

The DCE commended the courage and loyalty displayed by one Corporal Omar Quaye Acheampong of the Ghana Police stationed at Kenyasi, who single-handedly repulsed the operations of a group of chainsaw operators and impounded their truck and two chainsaw machines, which were currently in the custody of the District Police Commander.

Mr Nsiah-Agyapong implored the Assembly members to educate the electorate to be tolerant, accommodating and refrain from the use of offensive and provocative language to ensure violence-free elections in December.