Nsawkaw (B/A), Aug. 21, GNA - Osabarima Kwadwo Sito, Omanhene of Banda Traditional Area in the newly created Tain District of Brong-Ahafo Region on Thursday commended President John Agyekum Kufour for living up to his campaign promise by creating Tain District with its headquarters at Nsawkaw.
Osabarima Sito was giving the closing remarks as the chairman of the inaugural ceremony of the Tain District at Nsawkaw.
The function, which formed part of the simultaneous inauguration of 19 out of 28 newly created district assemblies throughout the country, was marked with a grand durbar of chiefs and people in the area. All the four paramount chiefs in the areas were either personally present or represented at the august function. The other paramount chiefs were from Badu, Nsawkaw and Seikwa.
Nana Owusu Kokroko, Krontihene of Wenchi Traditional Area and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana News Agency represented the Wenchi Omanhene, Nana Abrefa Mbore Bediatuo.
Also present at the historic function were district chief executives from Nkoranza and Atebubu, Mr Kwame Ampofo-Twumasi and Mr Cassius Osei-Poku respectively.
Osabarima Sito said, seven years ago when he became the chief of Banda he felt the need for a separate district for the area, which, he added, had about 100 towns under it.
Nana Oppong Sarkrosah, Twafohene of Nsawkaw recalled the maiden visit of President Kufour to Nsawkaw shortly after his assumption of office in 2001 to Nsakwa and the request was made, as well as some other requests the chiefs and people made which included the need to tar the main Wenchi-Nsawkaw road and electrification facility for the town.
Nana Sarkrosah said the fact that the road was currently under serious attention and the town also could now boast of electricity facility testified to the concern the government of the New Patriotic Part (NPP) had in stock for us.
The Twafohene however, appealed to the Government to build a senior secondary school (SSS) at Siakwa to cater for the junior secondary school (JSS) in the area.
He also appealed to the Government to give the necessary support to the Birim Goldfield, a mining firm currently operating in the area as a way of creating employment avenues for the youth in the area.
Mr Joe Danquah, DCE for Wenchi said Tain district has four local councils and advised people in the community to be concerned about payment of their taxes to improve the financial base of the new district and thereby ensure its socio-economic development.
Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and a Member of Parliament for Sunyani West Constituency inaugurated the Tain District on behalf of President Agyekum Kufour.
In an address read for him, President Kufour said the new local government system primarily, seeks to place power in the hands of the people and to ensure their genuine representation and participation in the decision-making process.
President Kufour noted that, experience had shown that communities could best be organized quickly and productively to diagnose local problems, lay down priorities, elaborate action plans, come up with solution, strengthen community organization and meet the requirements of accountability through a functioning decentralized system of local government.
Earlier at Duayaw-Nkwanta, where the Tano North District Assembly was sited, Nana Kwadwo Seinti Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister inaugurated another district.
In a welcoming address read on his behalf, Nana Boakye Tromu 11, Omanhene of Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Area said the need for a separate district assembly started as far back in 1988 but none of the official letters sent to the then governments by his outfit could not have a favourable response until President Kufour and his NPP came to power.
Nana Tromu said he officially contacted President Kufuor in 2001 on the same issue and on November 2003 the announcement came out that Duayaw-Nkwanta had been approved as a district capital for the newly created Tano North District Assembly.
He thanked the government for considering their request for a new district capital and called on people in the area to redouble their communal labour spirit towards the development of the new district. The people should register for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable the government achieve its national goal of better health delivery system for the citizenry.
Mr Adjei-Darko announced that, this year Tano North and Tano South had each been allotted 4.28 billion cedis from District Assemblies' Common Fund instead of last year's 3.7 billion cedis common fund allotted to Tano District Assembly with its capital at Bechem when the district was operating on one-leg.
Four district capitals in Brong-Ahafo except Pru with the capital at Yeji were also inaugurated on the same day.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Railways, Ports and Harbours represented the President at Sampa for the Jaman North District function, Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister was assigned to the Kintampo South at Jema, while Mr Obeng G. Busia, Special Assistant for MLG&D took charge of the inauguration at Kukuom for the Asunafo South.
