District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano South

Bechem, (B/A) Oct. 27, GNA - Mr. Bukari Zakaria Anaba, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano South, has said district assemblies do not exist to give stipends and hand-outs to the people.

"They are not gold mines for people to go there with the impression of enriching themselves, but are local government bodies to implement government policies and programmes for the political, social and economic well-being of all citizens," he said.

The DCE expressed regret that: 93Nowadays, a village folk might prefer a remittance of a few cedis for him or her alone, to the construction of a borehole that could be of benefit to a whole town or village."

Mr Anaba stressed that the perception of the assembly as a "philanthropic organization" was wrong because it was killing the spirit of sacrifice, volunteerism and self-help among the populace.

The DCE was addressing the second meeting of the first session of the assembly at Bechem.

"There is a perception out-there that the assembly is a place of booty and this perception only goes to make our citizenry lazy and unproductive," he emphasized.

Mr Anaba, therefore, urged members of the assembly to continue to educate the people to cultivate the habit of hard work, self-reliance and the 91can do' attitude to be able to meet the socio-economic challenges.

Mr. Anaba announced that the district made GHC101, 706.00 from the internally generated fund (IGF) for the third quarter - July to September 2011, whilst the IGF for the second quarter of the year - April to June was GHC31, 432.52.

He said those funds had been earmarked to meet recurrent expenditure that included salaries, traveling and transport, general expenditure, maintenance and repairs, renewals, ex-gratia, sitting allowances and other miscellaneous expenses for the year.

The DCE announced that the assembly was allocated GHC212, 449.24 from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) for the first quarter of 2011 but received GHC94, 033.86 due to deductions at source.

The deductions covered payments of fumigation, vehicle for the DCE, Sanitation and Improvement Package, NALAG dues and other recoveries, he said, adding, cash from the DACF to the assembly for the second quarter was GHC56, 264.62 after same deductions.

Mr. Anaba stated the District Development Fund (DDF) had been released and based on a score of 85 per cent an amount of GHC429, 209.00 was allocated to the assembly for development projects.

He said GHC39, 039.00 of the amount is a Capacity Building Grant and the rest GHc390, 170.00 is an Investment Grant.

Mr. Anaba said the Investment Grant would be used for the completion of the second phase of Bechem Lorry Park, gravelling of two kilometre (DDF) and two kilometre DACF phase II of Bechem Town Roads and the construction of a three-Unit Teachers Staff Quarters at the Techimantia Senior High School.

The DCE indicated the School Feeding Programme had been expanded within the district as the number of children fed had been increased from 1,574 to 3,497 in 11 deprived schools in 11 communities in the District.

Mr. Anthony Opoku, Presiding Member, earlier in an opening address, urged his colleagues not to renege on their primary responsibility of feeding the people they represented with issues deliberated upon during assembly meetings.

He said that would assist in getting the electorate to understand and cooperate with the assembly on sensitive social and economic issues such as the payment of tolls and fees, to increase the IGF.

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Paramount Chief of Bechem Traditional was in the house to brief members about the celebration of the maiden Adekyem Festival for the chiefs and people of the area, slated from November 13 to 20, 2011.