The government has made available an amount of ?340 million to the Nzema East District Assembly for preparatory work towards the launch of the Mutual Health Insurance Scheme in the district this year.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Kojo Armah, announced this at a two-day maiden ordinary meeting of the 4th assembly at Axim, the district capital. Mr Armah said the district is among 45 districts selected throughout the country for the initial implementation of the scheme. He appealed to the assembly members to give the scheme their maximum support and assistance to ensure its overall success in the district.

Touching on sanitation, Mr Armah said 63 out of the 100 household VIP toilets targeted for the district this year have been completed.He announced that the World Bank has given ?167 million initial support funding for 100 more of the toilets and urged the assembly members to vigorously canvas their electorate to patronise the facility to ease the pressure on public toilets.

The assembly, the DCE said, has also purchased sanitary tools, including wheel-barrows, pickaxes and brooms, worth ?20 million for distribution to the area councils to improve upon sanitation in the district.On development projects, Mr Armah said contract for the construction of two modern markets at Asasetre and Ehwi Baale, suburbs of Axim, is to be awarded soon to promote trading activities in the communities.

He said the assembly has also programmed to construct Area Council offices and community centres throughout the district over a five-year period, adding that two of such projects are currently under construction at Nkroful and Aiyianase.

In the area of youth development, Mr Armah said the assembly is sponsoring the formation of a Girl Guild and Boy Scout Movement on a pilot basis at Axim, saying that it will be extended to other centres if it is successful. Explaining the initiative, the DCE said it is aimed at creating alternative sources of healthy recreation for the youth to ensure discipline and upright development and prevent such vices as truancy, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), he said, an assembly hall complex will be constructed for the Bonza Kaku Secondary School as part of the efforts of the assembly to promote education in the district.Mr Armah appealed to the chiefs, elders and the traditional councils in the district, particularly the Nzema Manle Council, to assist the assembly to maintain lasting peace in the area and sustain the dignity and integrity of the chieftaincy institution.