Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has enumerated development projects executed by the government of President Akufo Addo in the nearly three years of their rule.

Speaking at the 2019 Ngmayem Festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Manya Krobo at Krobo Odumase in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, Dr. Bawumia observed that although the government still has plans to do more development projects in the municipality, he was satisfied with the extent of development projects so far executed and pledged government’s commitment to do more.

Below are excerpts of the speech delivered by Dr. Bawumia at the festival on Friday, 25th October, 2019.

Your Royal Majesty, Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me at this point to highlight some projects we have been undertaking in the nearly three years that we have been in government to improve living standards, strengthen our communities, and lay the foundation for greater, inclusive development.

Your Royal Majesty, one of the issues dear to the heart of the President is maintaining a clean environment. After 60 years of independence, with all our education, it is sad to say that we are still battling with Environmental and Sanitation issues. Having a clean environment is a collective responsibility of all of us on daily basis, not just during festivals.

At the moment a 16- Seater water closet wash room facility has been completed and handed over to the Adjikpo Yokunya community for use.

In the area of water, I am informed that ten (10) boreholes have been completed in various locations across the municipality.

Your Royal Majesty, the Lower Manya Krobo municipality is benefiting from the government flagship programme of ‘‘Planting for Food and Jobs’’. More than 2,500 farmers in the municipality have been supplied with quantities of inputs at very subsidized cost.

The municipality is also benefiting from the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme. Under this programme, 32,000 mango seedlings have been raised and distributed to farmers. The municipality is participating in the “Rearing for Food and Jobs” programme through Pig farming.

And only recently, the municipality has been selected to participate in a special poultry programme. This is expected to boost poultry production in the country to reduce the over dependence on imported chicken. I urge farmers to take advantage of these programmes in the efforts to wipe out poverty and create employment.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is gladdening to know that the Municipal Assembly has been selected among some 25 Municipalities in the country to benefit from a One Hundred Million United States Dollars (US$100,000,000.00) Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP).

This Program is part of Government's broader urban development and decentralization programme. It will help strengthen local systems and focus on municipal assemblies by providing them incentives to improve their performance as city managers.

The programme is targeted at institutional and infrastructural development in the country’s emerging or secondary cities. The aim is to address important development challenges that come with urbanization and at the same time assist in implementing government’s decentralization and urban development policies.

Under the programme, the Agormanya market would be redeveloped into a modern market with 300 lockable stores, 2,500 sheds, a police station, and a crèche.

Under the One-Million-One-Constituency Fund known as the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), let me add that the municipality is benefiting a lot from the fund.

Construction has begun for the following projects:

• a Kindergarten Block at Kpong Methodist School, • a 10-seater Water Closet washroom Facility at Akuse Methodist High Technical School, • three (3) market sheds and two (2) storage rooms at Agormanya Market, • an Institutional Toilet facilities for Manya Krobo Senior High School, Nuaso and Kpongunor Presby Junior High Schools. • The fund is currently funding the construction of solar powered mechanized boreholes for Oborpah East, Yonguase, Wawase and the Odumase Nursing and Midwifery College.

Your Royal Majesty, the Free Senior High School Programme has come to ensure that the financial or social status of a child’s parents should not prevent the child from accessing Senior High School Education. The implementation of the programme has resulted in over 200% increase in enrolment in the Four (4) public Senior High Schools in the municipality.

To ease the pressure of classroom and dormitories brought to the schools, government has begun the construction of 12-Unit Classroom Block, 6-Unit Classroom Block and 2 Storey Dormitory Block at Manya Krobo Senior High School.

In Arkro Secondary Technical School, construction is on-going for 12-Unit Classroom Block, 12– Seater WC washroom facility and in Akuse Methodist Senior High Technical School, a 2-Storey Dormitory Block is under construction.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time in the history of this municipality, I am happy to inform you that the construction of a permanent office accommodation for the Municipal Education directorate has begun and it is about 55% complete. The completion of the office will bring to an end the 44 years of operating from rented premises.

At the basic level, so much infrastructure projects have been accomplished. The projects include:

• 3-Unit Classroom Block at Akosombo Ketem,

• 6-Unit Classroom Block at Yokwenor,

• 3-Unit block at Agormanya Islamic School,

• 9- Unit Teachers Quarters at Oborpah East,

• 3-Unit Classroom Block at Yoguase and

• a Kindergarten block for Oborpah Djekity.

The construction of a 3-Unit classroom block at Adjikpo Yokunya and 6-Unit classroom block at Odumase Anglican School are currently on-going and are at various stages of completion.

Your Royal Majesty, Ladies and Gentlemen, government in 2019 decentralized the process of awarding government scholarships to MMDAs to ensure equity and easy accessibility. I am happy to inform you that 51 students in your municipality have been awarded Government of Ghana Scholarships to the tune of GH?82,000.00 including medical students, nurses and students pursuing other courses at the tertiary level.

In the provision of primary health service, the Community-Based Health Planning and Services, popularly called the CHPS compound has been very effective. I am happy to announce that only this year, two CHPS compounds have been constructed at Wawase and Obopah Djerkity.

The construction of a new one has also started at Piegua Yokwenor to bring health services to the community. In the nursing and midwifery training school, I am happy to announce that electricity has been extended to the school. Construction of two (2) Hostel facilities has also been completed and the construction of two 2 No. 2 storey classroom blocks is on-going.

Nananom, we know that the poor nature of roads is a major concern to you and your people. As a listening government, we have approved the tarring of 10 kilometers of township roads for the municipality. The procurement process to select a contractor has reached an advanced stage.

The tarring will cover the Atua Government Hospital road, Kpongunor Bana hills road, Kpong Quarters road, Nuaso Old Town road, Agormanya Airport- Agbom road and the Kpong Beach Road.

Under the One –District –One – Factory Programme, five companies have received approval to setup in the municipality. I am happy to announce that one of the companies by name Strongmen Foods and Farms Company Limited located at Akuse has fully setup and is milling quality rice for the market.

I urge you all to take advantage of the company to enjoy quality rice at affordable prices. Let us eat what we grow here so we can grow our industries.

Distinguished guests, when we came into office in early 2017, the unemployment situation among the youth had reached an alarming level and attracted security concerns. Government created NABCO which absorbed 100,000 graduates nationwide.

I am glad to inform you that more than 350 graduates from the Municipality were recruited and posted to the various Departments in the Municipality.

In addition to the above, over two hundred and six (206) people have been provided jobs under the Youth in Afforestation Programme and another two hundred and four (204) people have been employed under the youth in sanitation programme.

Your Royal Majesty, under the social Protection programmes, government has increased the number of beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to ensure that more vulnerable people benefited from the programme.

Government since 2017 has increased the beneficiaries from 1,150 to 2,200 people in the Municipality. Again under the new policy on the utilization of the Disability Common Fund, I am glad to announce that 159 people living with disability have been supported to set up various income generating ventures including container shops.

Distinguish ladies and Gentlemen; the government is doing its best for the socio-economic development of the Municipality to improve the lot of the people and to achieve the desired development we are all expecting. More developments are in the offing and all government requires from you is your support.

Finally, Your Royal Majesty, I want to make a special appeal to you to encourage your people to come out in their numbers in the upcoming referendum to vote YES on the 17th December, 2019 in order to amend Article 55 clause (3) of the Constitution to enable political parties participate in local level elections. That is the election of MMDCEs, Assembly and Unit Committee Members.

On this note, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish once again to thank the hardworking Konor; His Royal Majesty Nene Sakite II and his elders for the invitation. I wish you a happy celebration.

OKLIBONY!!! Thank You and May the Good Lord Bless Us All.

God Bless our Homeland Ghana.