Ho, May 27, GNA - Mr Charles Bintim, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, on Friday said the newly created Adaklu-Anyigbe District Assembly should be the inaugurated as soon as possible. The said the desire of the people in the area for development should not be held back while 5.8 billion cedis allocated to the district since January 2004 had not been utilised.
Mr Bintim was inaugurating a seven-member Committee to address the differences between the Adaklu Traditional Area and their Agotime counterparts over the location of the capital at Agotime-Kpetoe instead of Adaklu-Waya.
Legislative Instrument (L.I. 1807) designated Agotime-Kpetoe as the district capital while the people of Adaklu contend that another L.I. 1741 designated Adaklu-Waya as the district capital.
The Chiefs and people of Adaklu had for sometime now been holding demonstrations and news conferences to protest the alleged turn-about with threats not to be part of the new district.
"The Assembly has started working with Kpetoe as the capital in accordance with the relevant Legislative Instrument. To bring about peace and unity in the district there is need to investigate the causes of the contention and reconcile the traditional areas", Mr Bintim said. The Minister said even though the delay in the inauguration the district was regrettable he was happy that the situation did not degenerate into violence.
He commended the feuding communities for their restraint and the State agencies for handling the situation constructively. Ogyeabour Akompi Finam II, Omanhene of Kadjebi, who is Chairman of the Committee pledged the commitment of the members to help in resolving the issue and called for co-operation from the contending parties for a lasting solution.
He said the cordiality, which inspired them to work for the creation of the new district should guide them to bury their differences for the common good of the people.
Other members of the Committee are Togbe Gbogbolulu V, Paramount Chief of the Vakpo Traditional Area, the Right Reverend Anthony Adanuti, Catholic Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese, Mr S Y Dzebu, retired Civil Servant, Mr Zewu Glover, a Lawyer, Madam Esther Edzeani, an Educationist and Mr Larry Bisaba, Regional Social Welfare Officer. The Committee would investigate the causes of the contention over the location of the district capital, meet and reconcile the three traditional areas in the district and to suggest ways of ensuring equitable distribution of development.
It is expected to submit its report within 12 weeks.
