Ahead of the December polls, calls have been made for citizens of the country to uphold existing peace in the country. The latest to add his voice to the calls is Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode, the Chief Executive of the Akrofuom District Assembly.

In an address to the assembly at a general assembly meeting held at Akrofuom, the DCE encouraged residents to be tolerant of varied views and eschew all forms of disturbances and election malpractices before, during, and after the elections.

The December 2024 elections have been tipped as a crucial election for the two main political parties in the country. Recognizing the potential tensions that could arise before, during, and after such a critical time, the DCE emphasized the importance of unity and respect for diverse perspectives.

The general assembly meeting was used to elect conveners for the sub-committees. Dr. Woode seized the opportunity to highlight on key happenings in the district to the Assembly. Prominent among them included;

Electoral Area Mining Taskforce

The proposed Electoral Area Mining Taskforce, comprising assembly members, unit committee members, nananom, and miners, encountered implementation challenges during the second assembly. This task force, consisting of members from the electoral area who are familiar with their environment, aims to oversee mining activities in the District and ensure responsible mining practices.

Collaboration Between Mastercard Foundation and the Ghana Enterprise Agency

Mastercard Foundation and the Ghana Enterprise Agency collaborate to train individuals aged 15 to 35 in various communities nationwide. The program includes apprenticeship in three areas: Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship (A2E), Agriculture and Agribusiness to Entrepreneurship (AA2E), and MSME Business Acceleration. Trainees will work with skilled craft persons for six months and gain access to market opportunities through trade shows, concept shops, Ghana Mall, e-commerce platforms, and social media. Hon. Maurice Jonas Woode urges District youth to register for these training opportunities through the GEA link provided.

Ghana Productive Safety Net Project

Under the Ministry of Local Government, the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project aims to increase access to income-generating activities in our district. It focuses on climate change mitigation, specifically coconut and oil palm plantations. Beneficiaries, including 60% women and 10% persons with disabilities aged 18-65, will work for four hours daily, receiving between 20 and 30 Ghana Cedis. The project also supports the establishment of sustainable businesses with funding of 3,000 Ghana Cedis for input markets.

Planting for Food and Jobs Phase 2

Phase 2 of the "Planting for Food and Jobs program" addresses Phase 1 challenges and focuses on value chain-driven, private sector-focused, market-driven, and inclusive principles.

Commodities include maize, soya beans, sorghum, tomatoes, pepper, onions, cassava, yam, plantain, and poultry. Requirements for farmers include Ghanaian citizenship, interest, Ghana and contact cards, a guarantor or next of kin, and a farm size of 2.0 acres and above.

In our district, 16 staff received PFJ registration training, farm registration began on March 18, 2024, and 217 farmers are registered as of April, with 7 farms mapped.

The program introduces an aggregator and provides logistics support. Due to unavailable funds, the Assembly proposes a Public-Private Partnership for construction, pending General Assembly approval as mandated by the Public-Private Act 2020 (ACT 1039).

The following individuals emerged as winners with their respective roles elected:

Nana Baffour Awuah - Works sub-committee
Isaac Amponsah - Social Services sub-committee
Nana Asare Bediako - Finance and Administration sub-committee
Peter Amponsah - Development Planning sub-committee
Nicholas Essandoh - Mining and Anti-Galamsey sub-committee
Matthew Baah - Justice and Security sub-committee