Yawhima is to benefit from Metro Mass buses

Yawhima (B/A), June 6, GNA - Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, on Friday told the chief and people of Yawhima, near Sunyani, that he would ensure the Metro Mass Transit and Ghana Private Road Transport Union extended their services to the community.

This was in reaction to a question someone asked at a People's Assembly about the apparent lack of transport services, a lorry park and a community clinic in the area.

The questioner said as compared to other parts of the municipality the situation at Yawhima often led to loss of lives during emergencies. Another questioner complained about failure of his ward to gain

admission into any school in the municipality even though he had good grades

The Regional Minister promised to assist him to get admission for the ward after counselling and assessment had been done. Mrs. Amankwah Adu Crabbe, a teacher, wanted to know if access to Cocoa Marketing Board scholarships was limited to protocol to which Mr. Baffour-Awuah explained that the facility was "open to all Ghanaians but only on merit".

Mr. Yaw Abrenya, a teacher at Sunyani Senior High School, cautioned traditional authorities against the sale of all lands in Yawhima "so some can be reserved to undertake development projects in future".

Mr. Raphael Cubagee, Assembly Member, questioned why an award of GH Cedis 200,000 contract that needed to be perused by the Financial, Executive and the Works and Development Committee before approval was given, as stipulated in the assembly's standing orders, was not being heeded to.

Responding, Mr. Kwame Twumasi-Awuah, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, said the allegation was "unfounded and completely untrue".

"Standing orders do not regulate the award of contracts but rather the assembly's proceedings. Things are done within the confines of budgetary allocations and based on the specifications available in the Financial Procurement Act and a commitment to due process".

He promised to extend the School Feeding Programme to Yawhima on completion of school blocks as well as the extension of electricity from Kotokrom to the area.

Ansering a question on the allocation of funds to the physically challeged in the municipality, Mr. Twumasi-Awuah said Parliament had to change the guidelines regulating the disbursement of loans from the

District Assembles Common Fund for people with disabilities because of

the failure of some of them to repay loans granted them. He appealed to such persons to take advantage of MASLOC, which

had been launched in the region, to access loans.

Adenu Martin, a resident, expressed worry that none of the youth at Yawhima was employed under the National Youth Employment Programme and attributed it to political affiliation. Mr. Alfred Annye, municipal coordinator of the programme, rejected the claim and said one's employment under the programme was not dependent on political inclination.

Responding to a question on the provision of a community clinic at Yawhima, Dr. Opare, Municipal Director of Health Services, said a proposal had been submitted for the construction of the facility. Answering a question on delays in the release of health insurance cards and problems of networking, Mr. George Oppong Danquah, Public Relations Officer of Sunyani Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, said people who had such problems should contact their field officers.