Give us full autonomy – Oti Regional Minister appeals to govt

The Oti Regional Minister, Nana Akwesi Owusu, is appealing to the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry (LGRDM) to speed up processes of finalizing the transition of some agencies and institutions headquarters from Volta Region to Oti.

According to the Minister, even though the region has weaned itself from the Volta Region, some institutions and agencies still operate their headquarters from Volta, a situation he said is impacting negatively to the day-to-day activities of some departments and agencies.

“I am therefore appealing to LGRDM to quicken the process so that all agencies, departments and institutions wean themselves fully from the Volta region to accelerate development,” he stated.

He also called on the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to issue financial clearance to enable them to employ more hands to speed up work in the region since the regional administration is woefully under staff.

Nana Owusu made this appeal after he led the chiefs and people of Dambai, the staff of the regional administration and that of Krachi East Municipal Assembly to inspect a 30-acre land allocated by the chiefs to the government to construct one of the 88 hospitals earlier promised by the President.

Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE, the minister said because the region is new, the area is lagging behind developmental and that the government is ready and committed to development in the region.

He thanked the chiefs for their support and readiness for development adding that the government asked for 15 acres of land to construct a regional hospital but for the preparedness of the chiefs and people gave out 30 acres instead.

“I was sent by the President Nana Akufo-Addo on his promise of building 88 hospitals so we are here to fulfil the assignment,’ he stated.

After the inspection, Nana Owusu said apart from Dambai, the region will have extra four district hospitals to boost healthcare delivery in the area adding that the various assemblies and the regional administration are ready to commit whatever resources available to perfect the plans and drawings.

“Every project demands land and since we have being given more than enough, we will start the project before the end of this year,” the Minister stated.

He said the era of people walking and travelling for a long distance before accessing healthcare will be over soon because the government is committed to ensuring these projects are completed as soon as possible.

The chief of Dambai, Nana Bianu II also expressed his profound gratitude to the President, the Regional Minister and the ruling New Patriotic Party government for choosing Dambai as a regional capital.

Nana Bianu said the hospital if completed will ease the plight of the people of Dambai having to travel a long distance to Worawora, Nkwanta and Krachi hospitals on a daily basis before accessing healthcare.

He promised the chiefs and people will guide jealously the materials and tools of the contractor from robbery and that anyone found culpable will face the full rigorous of the law.

The chiefs presented all the documents covering the land to the regional administration, a big ram and 20 tubers of yam to the minister to serve his guest.