Regional News of Tuesday, 25 November 2003

Source: GNA

Govt spends over C20 billion on roads in Sekyere East

Effiduase (Ash), Nov. 25, GNA- The government is spending over 20 billion cedis on roads maintenance in the Sekyere East district, Mr Isaiah Opoku Boateng, the District Chief Executive, has stated.

A number of school infrastructure had also been constructed and distributed throughout the district since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government took office, he added.

Mr Boateng said this at a public forum at Effiduase on Monday in reaction to recent media reports that the Effiduase township, had not benefited from any development since the government assumed office.

The reports were allegedly made by some citizens of the town.

Mr Boateng said the government had awarded contracts totalling 31.7 billion cedis to upgrade the Effiduase and Tweneboa Kodua Secondary Schools into a model school.

The Effiduase market is being rehabilitated while the town's road network would be undertaken next year, he said.

Mr Boateng said some boreholes had been constructed in the district and announced that the government intended to take up the construction of the Kumawu water system, which would cost about 50 billion cedis.

On micro credit scheme, Mr Boateng said about 1.5 billion cedis had been disbursed to 1,000 women in the district to expand their businesses and appealed to the people to always seek information from the assembly instead of rushing to the press to make unfounded allegations.

Mrs Grace Coleman, Member of Parliament (MP) for Effiduase-Asokore, said the government had done a lot in the district in terms of infrastructure development.

She said plans were far advanced to secure micro credit schemes to assist groups and individuals to expand their businesses.

Meanwhile, the chiefs of Effiduase have dissociated themselves from the allegations made on an FM station in Kumasi by some residents.

Speaking at the forum, Nana Frimpong Ampem, Krontihene of Effiduase, said the chiefs were "living witnesses" to the number of development projects, which were currently going on in the town.

He cited the upgrading and expansion of the Effiduase Secondary, rehabilitation of the market, construction of school blocks and places of convenience, as well as the reconstruction of the town's road networks as examples.

Nana Ampem said the chiefs supported the government and would continue to co-operate with it to ensure the speedy development of the town.