development

Elmina (C/R) May 12, GNA - Nana Ato Arthur, the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) District Chief Executive (DCE), on Wednesday, warned members of the assembly to refrain from encouraging haphazard and unauthorised land development in the area.

He expressed concern that structures were springing up within various communities in the area without recourse to the assembly, and that there was an indication that some assembly members were leading would be developers, in land acquisition.

Nana Arthur, who issued the warning at the first ordinary meeting of the second session of the Assembly at Elmina, pointed out that, all the assembly members have copies of the Local government Act 462 "which states in black and white" that only the planning units of the assemblies, are in charge of issuing permits.

He deplored the fact that such negative practices, would not only lead to a disaster if any of such structures are built on water ways, but were also resulting in a loss of revenue to the assembly. The DCE, enumerated several projects which have been awarded on contract, from the HIPC and district assemblies common funds. They include construction of school buildings, toilets, boreholes fitted with hand pumps, a bridge and the rehabilitation of a market. He assured members that steps are being taken to ensure effective revenue mobilisation, and that workshops and seminars would be organised to update the skills of revenue collectors.

Educational programmes to sensitise people on the need to honour their civic responsibilities, will also be mounted he said, while stringent measures will be put in place to ensure that expenditures are controlled considerably.

Mr Arthur announced that the assembly, was among forty districts in the country selected to implement the district health insurance scheme on pilot basis and the government has released 250 million cedis for the programme.

He advised the people to do away with chieftaincy disputes and all forms of litigation and urged them to turn out in their numbers to have their photographs taken, when the exercise takes off in the Central Region on June 7.

Mr Frank Appiah, the presiding member of the assembly called for peace and tranquillity during and after the December general elections.