Farming community to sanction uncooperative non-residents

Tom (B/A) Sept. 15, GNA - Residents of Tom, a farming community in Nkoranza district, have instituted sanctions against non-resident citizens who do not support development projects in the community. The families of such recalcitrant citizens would be made to pay a fine of 200,000 cedis before the people would agree for his or her body to be buried at the local cemetery.

Mr Samuel Afosah, Secretary of the town's unit committee, told the Ghana News Agency the measures would encourage citizens to support on-going development projects.

It will also promote discipline, as no family head would want to face such embarrassment and disgrace, he added. Mr Afosah announced that the people were mobilizing funds to connect the area to the national electricity grid at a cost of 65 million cedis.

Resident men are contributing 70,000 cedis each and women 50,000 cedis, he said, adding that non-residents are contributing 80,000 cedis a man and 60,000 cedis a woman.

Mr Afosah said the community would need about 50 low-tension poles for the project.

Mr Kwame Poku, Chairman of the unit committee commended the Nkoranza District Assembly for providing 10 low-tension poles to supplement their efforts.

He said the people had already mobilized about 11 million cedis and would organize a fund-raising harvest during Easter next year.