Ablekuma Central: Our Community Focus holds stakeholders meeting

Our Community Focus (OCOF), a Non-Profit Organisation has on Monday, 8th March 2021 held an inclusive interaction with all key stakeholders in the Ablekuma Central Municipality.

The engagement which forms part of their mission-led plan to support and promote community development was on the theme "Brainstorming on Ablekuma Central's Development; My Participation, My Participation".

Speaking at the event the Executive Director of Our Community Focus (OCOF), Mr. Ebenezer Annang, hinted that the meeting is expected to bring all hands on deck to achieve a common community goal.

"The meeting was aimed at bringing all community stakeholders to hold the assembly accountable on the existing 2018 to 2021 MTDP development framework that expires in December and to actively participate in the next MTDP plan for 2022 to 2025 developmental agenda.

"OCOF deems it proper as a community development conscious NGO to lead our community stakeholders to know what is happening in terms of physical projects and interventions, their challenges, and how best we, as community partners can help achieve the mandate of the assembly to the community," he stated.

He also reiterated the need for the assembly to create an independent account to aid in contract payment to contractors after work execution.

"We wish to suggest that an escrow account is created at the district level for contracts awarded at either the central or district level to make payments to contractors faster and easier. This will also reduce the travel time of chasing their money for work executed.

"On our side as a community, the delays leading to shoddy work, abandonment of projects would be a thing of the past. This, I believe, would fasten the pace of the decentralization program," Mr. Annang stated.

On his part, the chairman of the planning committee at Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly, Mr. Kwasi Adarkwa outlined major developmental projects carried out since 2019 by the Assembly and the positive impact of these projects.

"We have constructed major drainage systems in the various communities, roads have been constructed, we have also initiated and trained young women through our skills and development programs, we have also provided learning materials to students in over 3,000 schools in the municipality," he said.

"In terms of security, we have employed and deployed our security personnel to every district and we are currently constructing a police station at Shukura, which will be completed very soon. With regards to health, we don't have a Municipal clinic, so we are also planning to construct an ultramodern health facility to deal with health issues and also reduce the pressure at the various health centers," the Chairman of the planning committee, Mr. Kwasi Adarkwa said.

Queen mother of Shukura and Sempe New Town, Naa Ablade (I), a representative of the MCE of the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly, Mr. Andrews Mensah, Representatives from the CDD, NCCE, and Assembly members were all in attendance.