Special courts to prosecute sanitation offenders

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), Nov. 7, GNA - Discussions are underway between the government and the Chief Justice on the possibility of creating special courts at the local level to for speedy prosecution of sanitation offenders.

Also, the government will not relent in assisting assemblies to provide mainstream environmental management.

This was contained in the President's speech read by the Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr. Christopher Addai, to inaugurate the 69-member Dormaa District Assembly at Dormaa-Ahenkro. The new assembly has 12 females out of which eight were elected. The President urged district assemblies to draw up education programmes aimed at sensitising the people on environmental hygiene and common diseases associated with filthy surroundings.

He appealed to district assemblies to facilitate the National Youth Employment Placement Programme for the nation's "speedy economic growth, poverty reduction and the provision of maximum security for our young democracy".

President Kufuor advised the assembly against over reliance on external sources of income and challenged them to diversify their sources of revenue to meet the demands of the numerous communities. He was of the view, however, that such public education could only be fruitful where the local government sub-structures were fully maximised and properly resourced to play their expected roles within the assembly.

Squadron Leader Benjamin Anane Asamoah, Dormaa District Chief Executive, said the district which is one of the biggest in the Brong-Ahafo Region is bedevilled with youth unemployment, illiteracy and wide spread poverty placing an onerous task on the new assembly to fulfil during its four-year term.

He called on the members to eschew political differences and forge ahead in unity to solve the numerous problems facing them. The Dormaa Circuit court Judge, Mr. Justice Vincent Carl Senu, swore in the re-constituted assembly.