Kasoa (C/R), July 15, GNA - Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, a Minister of State and MP for Sunyani West, has appealed to law-abiding citizens of the Brong Ahafo Region to muster courage and expose marijuana or Indian hemp farmers and dealers in the area to the Police.

Landowners in the Region should also put in place measures to ensure that people they offered land for farming did not cultivate Indian hemp. Mr. Adjei-Darko noted that the Brong Ahafo Region had now been classified as the leading marijuana producing area in the country, because of the large quantities of Indian hemp the police had ceased from producers and peddlers in the Region in recent times. Addressing members of Kasoa branch of the Brong Ahafo Citizens Association (BACA) to mark their first anniversary at Kasoa on Saturday, Mr. Adjei-Darko described the situation as "destructive and unacceptable" and charged citizens from the Region to rise up against it.

He especially challenged landlords and landladies to expose Indian hemp dealers, smokers and other criminals living in their houses to the Police as their contribution to the national crusade against narcotic drugs.

Landowners on whose lands the drug was cultivated, as well as landlords and landladies in whose houses Indian hemp dealers and smokers lived were aware of the illicit practices of their tenants and should be able to provide information to the law enforcing personnel, he said. According to the former Local Government, Rural Development and Environment Minister, investigations he had conducted revealed that the youth in almost every community in the Brong Ahafo Region had formed "an Indian hemp or Wee smoking club".

Mr. Adjei-Darko said the phenomenon if not checked now would affect the effective and orderly development of the Region because the practice would definitely breed more armed robbers and other hardened criminals in future.

Touching on the issue of street child, which had become a major social challenge, Mr. Adjei Darko blamed the issue on irresponsible men who brought forth with women and later used poverty as an excuse neglect their responsibilities.

Mr. Adjei-Darko stated that "streets do not produce children or human beings" stressing that children were produced by human beings and such people must be made to take care of the children they bring into the World instead of shifting everything to the Government. He praised Brong Ahafo citizens in and around Kasoa for organising themselves into a group and charged them to get actively involved in self-help projects to improve conditions in their communities. They should also pay periodic visits home to contribute their quota to the development of their towns and villages of origin. Madam Anna Nyamekye, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and MP for Jaman South, outlined the Government's plans to offer financial support to groups wishing to go into various businesses to alleviate poverty.

She advised beneficiaries of previous poverty alleviation loans to settle their debts for others also to benefit. Madam Nyamekye supported the call by Mr Paul Oko, MP for Asutifi North and leader of the Brong Ahafo Caucus in Parliament and Major K. Oduro (Rtd.) MP for Nkoranza North that members of the Kasoa branch of BACA should not use the association for funerals, weddings and other merry-making ceremonies but to promote socio-economic development. They charged leaders of the association to be guided by the principles of transparency and honesty to enable them to maintain the confidence of the members.

Mr. Ampofo Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports and MP for Nkoranza South, appealed to the people to attach great importance to education by sending their children to school He said plans had been completed for the provision of classrooms for all basic schools currently under trees and other structures in the country.

The aim is to rid the education sector of such undesirable challenges within the next three years, to enable teachers to discharge their duties with a high sense of commitment and dedication. Mr. Oppey Abbey, MP for Awutu/Senya, commended the association and promised to work with them to accelerate the socio-economic development of the Kasoa Township and its environs.

Mr. Oppey Abbey mentioned improvement chalked by the Government in the water supply system of Kasoa and said there are plans to extend power to all the communities in the area and appealed to residents for co-operation to ensure the success of the project. Earlier, Chief Inspector Asamoah Darkoh, Chairman of the Kasoa branch of BACA, outlined the aims and objectives of the association and said that besides donating a wall clock and other materials to the Government Clinic at Kasoa, the association had fully adopted the maternity ward.

He announced plans by the association to embark on a community-to-community education programme on the National Health Insurance Policy in Brong Ahafo Region soon as its contribution towards the success of the policy in the area.

Meanwhile, seven MPs from the Region have contributed three million and five hundred thousand cedis cash or Three Hundred GH Cedis and Fifty GH Pesewas, towards the running of the association.

They are, Mr. Adjei-Darko, MP for Sunyani West, Mr. Ntow Ababio, MP for Dormaa East, Mr. Yaw Asiedu Mensah, MP for Dormaa West, Mr. Paul Oko, MP for Asutifi North, Major Oduro (Retired) MP for Nkoranza North, Mr. Ampofo Twumasi, MP for Nkoranza South, and Madam Anna Nyamekye, MP for Jarman South.

The MPs further assured the association of their preparedness to team up with members of the association to sensitise people in remote corners of the Brong Ahafo Region.