Kumasi, Dec. 28, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister has appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to treat security issues with utmost importance. He said they should assist the police and other security agencies with the requisite resources to enable them meet the challenges inherent in their jobs.

Addressing the reconstituted Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (ARCC) in Kumasi on Thursday, Mr Owusu-Ansah, urged the assemblies to support security agencies with the required logistics to help combat crime and all forms of threat which endangered security of the region. He said even though high profile crimes like armed robbery and murder had reduced considerably due to the vigilance of the security agencies, car and mobile phone snatching, illegal mining activities and mob lynching of suspects still posed a threat to absolute peace and security in the region. Mr Owusu-Ansah said the region had seen tremendous improvement in its road network with the construction of major highways and feeder roads. He said some projects had also been undertaken in the education sector while the Capitation grant and the school feeding programme had increased school enrolment by 18 per cent in the region.

The Ashanti Regional Minister said water supply had also improved considerably with the expansion of distribution systems in urban towns and the construction of Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation projects in five districts in the region. However, he expressed concern about the limited health facilities in the region and appealed to members of the Council to negotiate for the upgrading of some health facilities within Kumasi metropolis into regional hospital status. Mr Owusu-Ansah said the ARCC would revive the Business Investment and Tourism Secretariat (BITS) to give more impetus to adequately support the private sector in the region. He announced that with effect from January next year, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the region would be required to appoint desk officers for BITS activities to strengthen links with the business community in their districts.