THE CAPE COAST Municipal Assembly (CCMA) has held its first ordinary meeting of the first session of the fourth assembly at the Cape Coast town hall in honour of the assembly's sister city delegation from Philadelphia, USA.

The delegation made up of Rev. Patrick Ekow Quainoo, a Ghanaian based in the USA, Bishop Harold Benjamin and overseer Ernest McNear of the Church of God in Christ, Philadelphia, USA were presented with gifts of Ghanaian cloths and native sandals at a mini durbar at the town hall.

Delivering his sessional address, the MCE, Mr. Muniru Arafat Nuhu noted that the three member delegations of the Mayor of Philadelphia are in the country to execute programmes that would be of great interest and significance to the CCMA.

He said finance is the backbone of the assembly since without adequate funds, the assembly cannot perform as well as discharge its functions well, stressing that the CCMA's share of District Assemblies' Common Fund for the year 2002 amounted to ?3,089,065,800.00 which had been allocated to various sectors for the completion of an ongoing and the execution of new projects as contained in the 2002 supplementary budget.

The project stated included maintenance and erection of street lights, rehabilitation of the Kotokoraba market, upgrading of Abura market, tourism and investment development, youth and sports development, maintenance of assembly building, constituency and disaster management and the Fosu Lagoon project.

Mr. Arafat Nuhu expressed regret about the poor performance in the revenue generation of the assembly, which came to only 70.7% of the estimated revenue of ?1,963,424,693.59 from its traditional sources as at December, 2002.

He hinted that this year, the assembly has budgeted to collect 2,273,381,125.00 adding that as a result, the administration is currently negotiating with Skymount Consult Limited of Tema to assist in the mobilisation of revenue for and on behalf of the assembly.

He explained that the firm would be entitled to 30% property rate collection and 25% of all other revenues to be collected.

Touching on waste management, the MCE announced that the assembly would soon take delivery of one Ford Skip Loader with 10 new skips under the urban III programme to augment the few sanitation equipment in place and hoped that their sister city delegation from Philadelphia would be more willing to lend their support and appealed to the general public to desist from the practice of disposing refuse and human waste at unauthorised places like the gutters, beside containers and on the streets.

Arafat Nuhu however warned that anyone caught indulging in such practices would not be spared.

He further pointed out that the CCMA has benefited an amount of ?1.50 billion from the HIPC fund for development projects in the municipality, explaining that the assembly has already spent half of the amount and committed it into the execution in the provision of 12 skip loaders to improve environmental sanitation, construction of 3 classroom blocks each at Mennayamenwu primary school, Aboom and Ankaful Junior Secondary schools as well as the construction of a nurses' quarters at Ekon.

The Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, Mr. Arafat Nuhu announced, had also released a total amount of?502 million from its share of HIPC relief fund for distribution to women's group in the Cape Coast municipality to enhance the economic activities of the beneficiary groups such as fishmongers, petty traders and gari processors.

According to him, about 700 women will benefit from the amount so far released, while about 102 women who were affected by the recent fire outbreak which gutted the Kotoraba market last year will receive an amount of ?102 million currently deposited at the NIB out of the amount, he stressed.

Touching on the perennial water crisis in the municipality, the MCE observed that the government is seeking external financial support for a permanent solution to the problem and called on the people to remove their financial barrier to health by actively promoting the formation of a Mutual Health Organisation (MHO) to be known as Oguaa Mansin Apowmudzen Kuw.

Earlier in a welcome address, the presiding member, Mr. Kojo Anaisie Yarquah reminded the assembly member of L.I 1373 (1988) which established the CCMA to carry out certain roles, functions and responsibilities including governance, service delivery planning, and community development.

He noted that it is in its attempt at carrying out the above that the assembly as far back as its establishment, entered into a relationship with some sister cities in America.

And on the secondary sitting of the assembly, the MP for Cape Coast, Ms. Christine Churcher who did not attend the opening session, expressed regret that she was not invited and that she only came and meet the assembly in session without any formal invitation.

She however pleaded with the assembly members to look out for clever but needy children and recommend them to be awarded scholarship to pursue their education, not only in Ghana but overseas as well.

She stated that between this month and next month (April) a delegation from a South African NGO would arrive in the country to adopt Cape Coast and Twifo Praso in the Lower Denkyira District to train some teachers for a pilot scheme to enhance the education of children in the two adopted areas which might eventually be extended to other parts of the country.

Ms. Churcher stated that she had used part of her MPs common fund to award scholarships to 23 students at the cost of ?28,530,000.00 as at December, 2002.

The students currently enjoying scholarships are spread over Efutu, Biriwa, Mfantsiman Girls, Commercial Services Institute (CSI), Adisadel College, Academy of Christ the King, Ghana National College, University Practice Secondary School, (UPSS), Pitman's school, Sammo Secondary School, St. Augustine's College and the IBB Centre for Computer Training.

According to her, she had also supplied some library books to some cluster of schools in the municipality and called for a better co-operation between her and the assembly for the development of the municipality.