Creation of more districts, to ensure effective decentralization

Abetifi, March 5, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor has said the creation of more districts in the country was to give meaning to the decentralization process for good governance and accelerated development.

He said the introduction of the district assembly concept two decades ago, had facilitated the growth of the local government system in the country.

These were contained in an address read on behalf of President Kufuor by the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Gloria Akuffo at the inauguration of the Kwahu East district at Abetifi in the Eastern Region.

The President said the assembly concept had also enhanced development, poverty reduction, good governance and the strengthening of the decentralization process in the districts. He said the country's major poverty reduction and wealth creation initiatives were being implemented through decentralized structures such as the growth and poverty reduction strategy. President Kufour said government was boosting performance standards of the assemblies by instituting the District Development Fund this year for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to administer the functional organization assessment tool to assess the performances of the assemblies.

He said the transformation would require a new type of assembly members to comprehend both local and native issues that could give leadership and direction to the staff of the local government service in the district.

Nana Onwona Asante, Kwahu South District Chief Executive, said the district including Kwahu East had 680 communities with a total population of over 160,000 people with 130 primary schools and 18 junior high schools.

He said inadequate allocation of funds made the provision of social amenities to the communities unsatisfactory, which compelled the assembly and chiefs in the area to send a proposal to government for the creation of an additional district. Nana Asiedu Agyeman II, The Chief of Abetifi commended government for the creation of the district as well as the numerous projects provided in the district. He appealed for the creation of an additional district in the Kwahu North (Afram Plains) district. The 24 assembly members of the new assembly were sworn into office by Justice Kwabena Assuman-Adu, circuit court Judge at Mpraeso and Nana Onini Afari, the Chief of Aduamoa was elected presiding member of the assembly.