Akropong-Akuapem, April 06, GNA - Mr Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister, has assured residents on the Akuapem ridge and surrounding environs that Government shared their plight on the water shortage problem and efforts were being made to improve the situation. He said the Government was aware of the low water supply situation on the ridge, but financial constraints held back solution of the problem for sometime, now the Government had made headway in making resources available to remedy the situation.

Mr Barimah gave the assurance when reacting to complaints by residents in the Akuapem North District at the People's Assembly Forum held at Akropong-Akuapem about the water situation on the ridge. The settlements mostly affected without regular water supply are Apirede, Akropong, Larteh and in the case of Aburi, it was alleged that water had not been supplied for the past four years. An official of the Ghana Water Company (GWC) said new pipes had been laid but water would be supplied to them after problems at the Kpong Water works had been solved.

Some of the participants appealed to the Government to focus on small water system for the communities instead of relying on the Kpong system that had been unreliable because most of the settlements including Aburi had water systems that could be utilised. They expressed concern about the attitude of some health workers within the district on the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Others mainly teachers, complained about the deplorable conditions under which they work and appealed to the Government to invest more in the provision of educational infrastructure in the rural areas.