Spacefon to cover Asunafo District

Mim (B/A), Dec. 21, GNA - Asunafo, one of the districts still grappling with lack of telephone facilities is set to shake-off the problem soon.

Arrangements are far advanced between the District Assembly and SPACEFON for the extension of telephone services to the district by March 2004.

Announcing the deal at a forum for Opinion Leaders at Mim, the District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr George Yaw Boakye said SPACEFON and the Assembly have endorsed documents necessary for the take-off of the project and that the Company had already acquired a site for the erection of a transmitter.

The forum was organised to assess the Assembly's performance over the past two-and-a-half years under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

It brought together traditional authorities, assembly members, businessmen, academicians and the clergy to discuss the Assembly's performance so far and the way forward.

Mr Boakye described the numerous chieftaincy disputes rocking the district as one outstanding bane in its development efforts and, therefore, urged the various traditional councils to agree to work together towards resolving the disputes amicably for the speedy socio-economic advancement of the District.

He suggested the formation of a conflict resolution council comprising high-ranking chiefs in the area for the settlement of such disputes.

"The time has come for us as a District to recognize the laid-down procedure for the selection of rightful heirs to thrones and avoid allowing usurpers the opportunity to foment trouble in the District." On development projects over the period under review, Mr Boakye stated that the assembly spent 65 per cent of its income to construct of 52 educational structures.

He said the Social Investment Fund (SIF); District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) and Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) have tremendously added to the efforts to uplift the district's status. Mr Boakye paid tribute to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for their complementary role especially in the areas of education and the fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS.

He announced the Assembly's plans to commence the construction of a new office complex for the District Administration.

During an open forum, the Opinion Leaders noted with grave concern, the non-existence of a substantive chief for Goaso, the district capital, and called on the Assembly to step in to mediate and get the feuding factions to resolve their differences.