Regional News of Saturday, 6 March 2010

Source: GNA

Recommendations on Agona Swedru-Zongo clash will be implemented - Minister

Agona Swedru, March 6, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, has said the recommendations of the Committee that investigated the clash between the citizens of Agona Swedru and Zongo Community would be implemented to ensure peace and harmony.

Mrs Doe said this when she paid a courtesy call on the Swedruhene, Nana Kobina Botwe II, as part of her familiarization tour of the region. She said the copies of the Committee's report had been sent to President John Evans Atta Mills and the Chief of Staff at the Castle, Osu. The violent clash led to the death of two persons and the destruction of property worth thousands of Ghana Cedis, last year. The Minister assured the chiefs and people of Agona Swedru and the Zongo Community that the government would do everything possible to improve the living standards of the citizenry.

Mrs Doe expressed concern about the inability of district assemblies to stop leakages in revenue generation, resulting in huge sums of money going into individual pockets.

She said the assemblies could not depend all the time on the District the Assemblies' Common Fund for developmental projects. Mrs Doe reiterated that the government would fulfil all promises made during the 2008 electioneering campaign to ensure the realization of the "Better Ghana" agenda.

Nana Botwe appealed to the Regional Minister to use her good office to settle the numerous squabbles among members of the Agona West Constituency Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to promote development. He said though chiefs were not supposed to meddle in Politics, they had to act in the interest of peace in times of conflict, explaining that the Swedruman Council had learnt the newly elected executives of the constituency had been dragged to court by some members of the party. He appealed to the Minister to press the government to support the rehabilitation of street lights in Swedru and provide other infrastructure to promote effective development of Agona Swedru. The Minister and her entourage also paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area, Nana Okofo Katakyi Nyarko Eku X at Nyakrom.