Traditional rulers asked to minimize conflicts

Daboase (W/R), Dec 8, GNA - Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, the Western Regional Minister, has called on traditional authorities to avoid land and chieftaincy litigations to enable the region to develop. He said this at a public hearing on the three-year Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) of the Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly at Daboase.

Members of the district assembly and the general public that attended the hearing unanimously approved the MTDP.

Mr. Amoah, who is the Member of Parliament for the area, said litigation was affecting the development of the region that has abundant resources.

He said some traditional authorities use substantial portion of their royalties for litigation at the expense of the development of their areas.

Mr Amoah said this was scaring away investors who are uneasy that the funds would be wasted on litigation.

Mr. Amoah said many communities in the region are going to benefit from the national electrification programme under a special dispensation by the government to the region.

He advised communities that have not been hooked to the national grid to buy low-tension poles for extension of electricity to their areas. Mr. Amoah said procurement of the poles was a condition for extension of electricity to communities and is non-negotiable. He said eight out of the 13 district assemblies in the region have decided to a grader each at a cost of over four billion cedis to undertake regular road maintenance in their areas.

Mr. Edward Tawiah Amprofi, the District Chief Executive, said about nine roads in cocoa growing areas in the district have been earmarked for tarring.