Kofiase (Ash), Feb. 8, GNA - The chiefs and people of Kofiase in the Sekyere West District of Ashanti have appealed to government to pay more attention to rural infrastructural development in order to reduce rural-urban migration.

They called on the Sekyere West District Assembly to speed up the rehabilitation of Mampong-Kofiase trunk road, facelift the town's market and extent electricity to more communities to entice the youth to stay at home.

These were views expressed by the citizens at a public forum organized jointly by the District Assembly, the Government Accountability and Improvement Trust (GAIT) and the Sekyere West Civic Union.

The aim of the meeting was to sensitize the people of Kofiase and its surrounding areas on the activities of the GAIT and to enable heads of decentralized departments to interact with the people. The main objective of the GAIT's programme was to foster community participation in local governance, which is essential for true democracy and sustainable socio-economic development.

Participants at the forum were unanimous that local government authorities should improve upon communication channels between them and their communities as well as build the capacities of local people to make meaningful contributions to development.

The Sekyere West District chief Executive (DCE), Mr Huruna Oppong-Boateng, gave the assurance that the assembly would continue to organise such meeting regularly to make governance more relevant and accessible to the people.

He said it was important for public officials to interact more often with the people and listen to their sentiments, feelings, aspirations and dreams, so as to find a common way forward. Mr Oppong-Boateng said the Kofiase market had already been awarded on contract, and that the other concerns of the people would receive the needed attention.

The meeting was attended by heads of decentralized departments chiefs and officials of the District Assembly.