Ensure success of street-naming project - Baba Jamal

A Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Baba Jamal, has urged metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to ensure the successful implementation of the government’s street-naming project.

He said it was shameful that a country that prided itself on having attained a middle-income status continued to direct people to places using signposts, landmarks and popular objects.

Speaking at an orientation event on street-naming and property numbering for MMDCEs in Sekondi, Baba Jamal said the street-naming project had the potential to improve the country’s emergency responsiveness and enhance revenue collection at all levels.

The occasion also marked the presentation of some equipment by the Ministry of Local Government to the Western Regional Minister, Mr E.K.T. Addo, in aid of the exercise.

The deputy minister noted that a perfect address system would make it possible for the assemblies to rake in more revenue from property rate payers.

Mr Addo said the recent launch of the urban development programme by the President was to ensure that all major streets in the districts were identified and properly named.

He recalled that in the past mails from the post were delivered to various homes by post office clerks, by hand.

“At that time, that was the most advanced means of mail delivery. This was made possible and easier because every house was visibly numbered and the house number conspicuously embossed at the frontage of the building. Service delivery was then effective and efficient,” he said.

Mr Addo said those services were then anchored on well-structured communities with streets and lanes that were well demarcated and named.

He said some old suburbs of towns and cities boast such demarcations and street names and named Sekondi, Accra and Tema as examples, adding that that facilitated the imposition of property rate, among others, which was a major source of revenue for the then local councils.

Mr Addo, therefore, urged the MMDCEs, as managers of the assemblies, to rise to the occasion and reverse the current trend.