Somanya, (ER), Dec. 15, GNA- The Member of Parliament for Yilo Krobo, Mr Raymond Tawiah on Saturday subjected himself to a grilling session by his constituents to enable them to appraise his performance as a legislator since taking office a year ago.

Mr. Tawiah fielded questions on a wide range of issues mainly on how to chart a sustainable development plan that could help reduce poverty and enable the development of a human resource base for the district.

Fetish priests, the clergy, educationists and student groups were among the audience gathered at the Somanya taxi rank in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region to address issues confronting the area.

Mr. Tawiah announced his plan to spend half of his share of the Common Fund to sponsor students offered placement into tertiary and other professional institutions over a period to a create a pool of professionals that would assist in the development of the area. Efforts, he said, was being concentrated on how to improve upon the infrastructural base of educational facilities in the area, including the provision of books, drilling of boreholes and educational sponsorship packages for students.

He announced that a 100-million-cedi sick bay would soon be constructed for the Yilo Krobo Secondary Commercial School, while funds were being sourced from the Ghana Education Trust Fund to construct hostels for the Klo-Agogo Secondary School.

Answering questions on what could be done to develop Boti Falls and rake in the needed revenue for the development of the area, the MP admitted the poor infrastructure at the area had blighted the potentials of what the "Yilo goldmine."

He explained that because his Common Fund allocation was not sufficient to be used for the kind of uplifting that Boti will require, he was liaising with the Yilo Krobo District Assembly, the Ministry of Tourism and other stakeholders on how to source funds for the project. An Assistant Director of Education at the Yilo Krobo District Directorate of Education, Madam Lillian Charway, praised the MP for his fortitude in deciding to be subjected to questioning by his constituents but appealed to him to support the drive aimed at supporting the girl-child in the area.

The function was attended by Mr. Michael Nyaunu, MP for Lower Manya, Mr David Assumani, Shai Osuduku MP, Mr Anthony Gyampoh, Eastern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress and Nii Lante Vanderpuiye, a broadcaster.

MP traces corruption to the lack of accountability in public life.

Somanya (E/R), Jan. 15, GNA - The Member of Parliament for Yilo Krobo, Mr Raymond Tawiah, had attributed the lack of accountability and transparency on the part of people wielding power and authority as the main source of the vexed issue of corruption in Ghanaian body politick. According to him, "whenever a people fail to hold their leaders accountable, that situation creates a fertile ground for corruption to thrive."

Mr Tawiah was addressing his constituents at a public forum at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region on Saturday.

The aim of the forum was to enable the MP to account for his stewardship to the people since his election a year ago. Mr. Tawiah said if office holders were made accountable to the people, that will ultimately reduce corruption.

Leaders, he stressed, should learn to appreciate the need for brainstorming to bring about the best of ideas instead of relying on the ideas of "one means or a motley group of persons, no matter how intelligent they are."

Corruption, he stated, was thriving across all sections of the Ghanaian society because people regarded their leaders as sacrosanct whereas they should be demanding accountability from them. He said the measure to check corruption in politics, the chieftaincy institution, the churches and other sensitive bodies was to make leaders accountable to the people.