Electoral Area hold special People's Assembly

Aflao, (V/R), July 24, GNA - Litigations erupting between multiple rival families and interest groups in communities in the Ketu District over lands and location of public projects by the District Assembly, have created headache over their smooth management and the building of new ones by the Assembly.

Four public places of convenience, one each at Avedzi, Zorokpome and an undisclosed location, with two at Avoeme, all suburbs of Aflao, are at the centre of the controversy involving about ten rival families. As the projects were completed and functioning, and the Assembly started paying royalties on them to the known owners from whom it acquired the plots of land under leasehold agreements, other families, three extra rival ones in some cases, emerged, claiming ownership of the plots and the right to receive the royalties. At Zorokpome, a faction of the community is threatening taking over forcibly, the running of the public toilet built by the Assembly, from the authority of the chief of the area.

Consequently, the Ketu District Security Committee (DISEC), DISEC on Thursday held a marathon meeting over the issue, which has reached a head, with the danger of them, individually degenerating into violence. The Assembly has since May, this year, suspended the payment of the royalties.

Mr. Justice Cudjoe, the new District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, disclosed this at the second special annual People's Assembly, constituted by the Assemblyman and the people of Huime-Agordome Electoral Area in Aflao, as a platform for interaction and discussion of the area's development, on Saturday at Beat Nine.

Mr. Cudjoe, urging other electoral areas to emulate the commendable Huime-Agordome special People's Assembly, which also enjoins authorities of the District Assembly to come and clarify issues concerning the area's progress, advised the people to avoid unnecessary litigations that would drawback the district's growth.

"Plans are fixed to build more toilets and other facilities, particularly in Aflao to end the filth in the area due to the high population concentration and the resultant annual outbreak of diseases such as cholera, but litigation of land remained the problem affecting the plan," he said.

Mr. Cudjoe disclosed that a new road from Denu Junction to Aflao by the beach would soon be constructed to decongest the regular heavy traffic on the Aflao-Denu portion of the main Aflao-Accra Highway, in addition to the tarring of the Huime-Agordome area access road, linking the highway at Beat Nine Junction.

Mr. Samuel Sackietey, Aflao District Police Commander, talking on Crime Combat, called for community-police collaboration to fight crime. Mr. Raymond Avinu, Coordinator, Ketu District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (KDMHIS), explained that the cost of accessing health care would become ten times more expensive for anyone not registered under the new health scheme, as Government would be removing the 80 percent health care subsidy being enjoyed currently by citizens when Health Insurance Scheme takes off fully.

Mr. Samuel Seshie, the area's Assemblyman, called for the splitting of the area into two separate electoral areas for easy management, the building of roads to link the area to the border and Pillar 13, extension of water to basic schools and to upgrading of the low electric voltage in the area.