Minister inaugurates projects at Ahafo-Ano North

Tepa (Ash), Dec 12, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister on Monday, inaugurated some development projects and also held separate durbars with chiefs and people of the communities in the Ahafo-Ano North district as part of a day's working visit to the area.

The projects included a 600 million-cedi Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) funded six-classroom block at Anyinasuso and a 200 million-cedi HIPC clinic at Asuhyiae.

The Regional Minister also presented quantities of exercise books and a 29-inch television set each to Anyinasuso Junior Secondary School (JSS) the and Manfo community.

Addressing separate durbars of the chiefs and people of Anyinasuso, Asuhyiae, Manfo, Mabang and Tepa, Mr Owusu-Ansah called on the people to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to have access to affordable health care delivery.

He also called on them to take advantage of the government's capitation grant and the feeding programme to send their children to school especially the girl child.

Mr Owusu-Ansah underscored the need for the inclusion of community policing in the government's Youth Employment Programme and called on the communities to encourage the youth to register with the programme to enable them to support the police in combating crime and ensuring security.

At Anyinasuso, Nana Kwadwo Duah, the chief of the town, asked the Regional Minister to help complete an electrification project which is being extended to the town.

He also asked for his support to turn an Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES) in the town into a nursing training college because the facility was not being put to good use. At Asuhyiae, the people appealed to the Minister to help construct a bridge over River Kosu to link the town to Acherensua to facilitate the movement of foodstuffs to the marketing centres.

Nana Kwame Ntim II, paramount chief of Manfo, called for the beefing up of policemen in the area to combat crime as well as the provision of an ambulance for the community's health centre. He urged that the tarring of the Akwasiase-Manfo-Juaho-Asuhyiae to Akyawkrom feeder road be expedited. Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem and Nana Darko Montwi, paramount chiefs of Tepa and Mabang respectively appealed to the Minister to help them construct speed ramps in the two towns to reduce over-speeding and motor accidents. Nana Atwenewa Ampem called on the Minister as a matter of urgency to impress on the Ghana Highway Authority to expand the narrow bridge over River Abu on the newly constructed road from Tepa to Asuhyiae. 12 Dec 06