Ashong Narh advises chiefs to release lands for projects

Tema, May 03, GNA - Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has called on traditional rulers in the municipality to willingly release lands to facilitate rural development in the municipality.

He said efforts made by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) to open up development in the Tema rural areas would be in vain if they failed to make lands available.

He made the call at the Tema Municipal Assembly Start-up workshop on the DANIDA Assisted District-Based Water and Sanitation Sector Programme Support Phase II, held at the weekend at Tema and attended by stakeholders, traditional rulers and assembly members.

Mr Ashong Narh urged chiefs who derive earnings from stool lands to also use it for the overall development of their areas and not for their personal benefits alone.

To achieve the desired results, the MCE entreated assembly members, zonal councillors and unit committees to work in unison with their traditional and opinion leaders for the development of their communities because, a concerted effort would hasten development in the municipality.

He expressed gratitude to DANIDA for taking up development projects in some parts of the rural communities, saying, over 500 households have benefited from the household sanitation facilities during the first phase of the project.

Mr Ashong Narh said DANIDA's gesture was in line with government's rural development policy programme to improve the living conditions of the rural folks and also curb the increasing drift of rural population to the urban centres.