New Abirem, Aug. 3, GNA - The people of New Abirem in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region have embarked upon a number of development projects aimed at opening up the town to enhance their living standards.

Some of the projects the people have listed to undertake include durbar and funeral grounds, two- room guest house, a six-unit classroom block, comprising a an office and a store for the Local Authority 'A' primary school and the construction of access roads in the town. Nana Amo Kyeretwie I, Abiremhene (chief of Abirem), made the disclosure at New Abirem in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on a wide range of subjects including the development challenges ahead of the town and its environs in view of the imminent mining of gold in the area by the Newmont Akyem Project.

Nana Kyeretwie said funding of the projects had been made possible through monies that accrued from fund raising ceremonies and plots of land allocated to mobile telecommunications networks like MTN and VODAFONE to erect antennae.

He said newmont provided GH¢8,500.00 two years ago for works on the L/A Junior High and the L/A 'B' primary and kindergarten schools. The community also assisted Old Abirem with an amount of GH¢ 500.00 to construct funeral/durbar grounds.

Nana Kyeretwie said he had given out 120 plots of land to the New Abirem Health Centre to expand the facility to a district hospital in order to offer quality health care to the people. He said in view of the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the area, the traditional authority had banned children under 18 years to patronise video centres and funerals, while funeral activities should not travel beyond 1800 hours.

Nana Kyeretwie advised parents to be very responsible towards their children by providing them with their needs so that they do not fall prey to irresponsible people who might try to take undue advantage to them.

In order to sustain the development projects, he appealed to citizens of New Abirem and non-governmental organisations to assist.