Distribution of money as a way of reducing poverty had not worked

Kwesi Komfo,(E/R), May 2, GNA- The East Akim District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, has said experience had shown that, the mere sharing of money to some individuals in the society as a short-term means of reducing poverty had not worked.

He explained that the amount involved had often not been enough for the projects intended by the beneficiaries, saying "before they would be aware, the money was gone."

Mr Asihene, therefore, advised people in the rural communities to invest in long-term projects such as agro-business, which take sometime to mature but the benefits are often permanent. He was speaking at the launching of this year's National Commission of Civic Education(NCCE) Constitutional Week in the East Akim District at Kwesi Komfo, near Suhum, on Tuesday.

Mr Asihene who was speaking on the topic: "Enhancing local resource mobilization to sustain poverty reduction", reminded the people that every body had a role to play to ensure the success of every government projects, most of which were aimed at poverty alleviation in the long run.

He cited the cocoa spraying exercise and explained that the exercise was aimed at enhancing cocoa productivity so that cocoa farmers could earn enough to attract the unemployed youth roaming in the urban towns looking for non-existing jobs.

The DCE pointed out that anybody who engaged in any activity to sabotage the exercise was seeking to entrench poverty in the country and urged the people to be bold to report anybody who stole the chemicals for the spraying exercise for the appropriate action to be taken against them.

Mr Asihene urged the people to continue with the communal and self-help spirit as a means to support the development of their community.

The Eastern Regional Director of NCCE, Mr Emmanuel Quaye-Sowah, said democratic governance did not mean only voting for politicians during elections and leaving it at that but it required active involvement of all citizens in the planning and development of the country.

He said the era when the people regarded the government as a foreign entity far from them that had to provide all their development projects was past and gone forever.

Mr. Quaye-Sowah said it was not the responsibility of Assembly Members and Members of Parliament to provide development projects to their electoral areas and in their constituencies respectively. He explained that it was government and District Assemblies, which are agents of development and the resources of the country are not enough for all parts of the country to get all the development projects that they require.

Mr Quaye-Sowah said the role of government, therefore, was to extend more projects to communities, which take the initiative in starting their own development projects.

He said his outfit started a pilot project to encourage people in the Birim North and Akuapem North Districts to initiate their own projects and that had made the two districts to attract a lot of development projects than they would have done. Mr Quaye-Sowah said the results of the project gave his outfit the confidence to encourage other districts to do the same, saying the country would develop fast if the citizens start implementing projects. Earlier, the East Akim District Director of NCCE, Mr F. M. K. Boafo, explained that the Constitutional Week was introduced to educate the people about their constitutional rights under democratic governance.