Gomoa Akyempim and Ajumako chiefs endorse district capital

Accra, March 10, GNA - A delegation of Chiefs from Gomoa Akyempim and Ajumako Traditional areas on Monday publicly expressed support for the Government's decision to site the capital of the newly created Gomoa East District at Afranse. Led by Nana Ahomako Bonsu III, the Chief of Buduatta, they appealed for immediate inauguration of the district assembly.

This was when they called on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

Inauguration of the Gomoa East District Assembly, which was among the 32 new municipal and district assemblies, was put on hold as a result of disagreement over the location of the capital.

Some traditional rulers in Gomoa Akyempim traditional area are said to be against the decision. Nana Bonsu, himself a chief from Akyempim traditional area, assured President Kufuor that majority of his colleague chiefs in the area fully endorsed Afranse as headquarters of the new district. He said they were therefore eager to see the assembly take off to help to hasten the pace of development in the area.

Responding, President Kufuor said he was happy that they had accepted to go with the Government's decision.

The assemblies, he said, were created to promote effective local government administration for good governance and development. He noted that with the establishment of a new district for Gomoa East, the size of the central Government's financial resources to the area for development was certainly going to go up and the benefit would be for all the people.

Regarding the inauguration, he said the Legislative Instrument (L.I) establishing the assembly would have to be laid before Parliament for 21 days.

Since Parliament was about to break for recess, the Government would have to wait until it returned and promised that as soon the House resumed, this would be done.

He said in the interim, the Minister of Local Government would meet with those resenting the location of the capital to help them to change their position.