Busua, Sept. 8, GNA - Metropolitan, Municipal, District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Chiefs, and Civil Society Groups from the Western Region, are putting in place a technical team to spearhead development plans for the region.

To that effect, they have resolved to formulate a five year development plan, under which, the technical team would work.

This was contained in a communiqu=E9 adopted at the close of a three-day retreat, organized by the Western Regional Co-coordinating Council (RCC), for the MMDCEs, Chiefs and Civil Society at Busua, to deliberate on development of the region.

The communiqu=E9 noted that poverty is still endemic in the region, though it is generously endowed with rich resources, which contributes largely to the nation's socio-economic development.

It observed that a huge gap has been created between the region's economic contribution to the Gross Domestic Product and its level of development.

This is because 93successive governments have failed to acknowledge and address this injustice by granting the region its fair share of development in appreciation of its contribution to the national coffers".

The group expressed worry that, the unfortunate plight of the region has been compounded by the activities of illegal miners, known as galamsey, and prospects in forest reserves, by polluting the river bodies and degrading the environment.

They therefore called on the government to cease the granting of new licenses for companies to prospect in forest reserves and around water bodies of the region, while the licenses of those in operation must be revoked.

It admonished that the Water Resources Commission lives up to its statutory responsibilities of regulating the use of water bodies through collaborative efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency and the MMDAs, to enforce the rules and regulations regarding the use of water bodies.

While entreating government to use the oil and gas discovery in the region as the growth pole for its accelerated development, it must ensure that all participating oil companies be encouraged to establish their main offices close to their area of operation in the region.

In education, the communiqu=E9 called for the upgrading and building the capacities of the Universities of Minies and Technology in Tarkwa, the Takoradi Polytechnic, and the Kikam Technical Institute to train people for the emerging oil industry.

In agriculture, it called for the establishment of storage facilities along the coastal belt and make fishing inputs readily available in the interest of food safety and security, whiles contingency measures put in place to sustain the livelihood of the fisher folks affected by algae along the coast of Nzema East, Ellembelle and Jomoro districts.

The political and Civil Society leaders commended the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) on constructing feeders roads in the cocoa growing areas and stressed the need for the government to construct all weather roads, to enhance the carting of food stuffs from the hinterland to the urban centres.