General News of Wednesday, 20 December 2017

Source: Mohammed saani Ibrahim

‘We deserve a municipality’ - Osu Mantse

Paramount Chief of Osu Traditional Area, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI Paramount Chief of Osu Traditional Area, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI

The paramount Chief of Osu Traditional Area, His Majesty, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI ,has made a passionate appeal to President Nana Akufo-Addo to elevate the Osu Traditional Area into a Municipality to free it from the Accra Metropolitan Area [AMA].

The Paramount Chief who doubles as the President of Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs made this appeal during the sod cutting ceremony to implement the Marine Drive Tourism Investment Project in Accra, stating that to complement the project, the Osu traditional area needs a Municipality status to help keep the project clean and safe.

He noted that giving Osu traditional area a Municipality of its own will enable the area to collect revenue, create direct and indirect employment for the youth of Osu as well as bring massive development to the area.

He added that the Osu Traditional Council has made several pleads through documentation process and other means for the establishment of the Municipality and will still plead with the President to hear the cry of the Chiefs and people of Osu.

He revealed that the Osu Traditional Area has grown beyond the requirement needed for the creation of a Municipality, adding that the municipality will make a significant socioeconomic impact to the people of Osu.

On the Marine Drive Project, he stated that the Project will help reduce unemployment which has been the major challenge confronting the country and urged the youth to take advantage of the project to gain employment.

He called on the workers on the site not to hesitate to approach the Traditional Council should the need arises, adding that the Chiefs and people of Osu will do its best to ensure the Marine Drive Investment project comes to reality.

However, a Local Government expert has disclosed that the boundaries alone qualifies Osu to be a municipality reiterating that the community possesses beyond the requirements needed to create a municipality.

The expert who pleaded for anonymity revealed that Osu stretches beyond 55 square miles and extends to cover more than 30 communities.

The Osu community according to the expert, which shares boundaries with La, parts of Asylum Down, Cantonment, Nima, Mamobi, Airport Residential Area and Haatso among others the the Osu traditional area , contributes a lot of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly's [AMA] revenue.

The expert further revealed that Osu traditional area contributes about 50-60% of funds to AMA but has lack development, job creation for the youth and welfare for the traditional council and the elders.