Punish those who refuse to partake in communal labour- Bongo PM

Bongo (UER), June 21, GNA- Mr. Emmanuel Nsoh Atindana, Presiding Member of the Bongo District Assembly, has warned that the assembly would enact a bye-law to punish people who refuse to participate in communal labour. He said it was wrong for anyone to refuse to partake in communal labour, which was often meant to execute projects for the common good of the society.

The PM gave the warning at a public dissemination forum at Bongo, which was organised by the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) on Thursday, on how Government is faring in the Health and Education components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He noted that in some communities, people who refuse to participate in communal labour are made to pay fines and said the assembly would take a clue from that.

Mr. Atindana appealed to the traditional authorities to assist the assembly to handle the problem since they are the custodians of the people and major stakeholders in all development projects. The District Planning Officer, Mr. Mumuni Damma, said the completion of a number of development projects, including those being funded by the European Union were at a standstill because people were not ready to volunteer their labour to complete them according to schedule.

Participants at the forum who were drawn from government departments, civil society organisations and chiefs, expressed concern about the withdrawal of children from school for agricultural pursuits, during the farming season. They also expressed dissatisfaction about infrastructural designs that are not friendly to people with disabilities.

The Deputy District Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Mohammed Issahaq and the District Planner, Mr. Mumuni Damma assured the participants that all future projects that would be awarded would attach facilities that are user friendly to people with disabilities. The findings, presented by the Programme Officer of ARHR, Mr Samuel Ofori Boakye and the Project Officer, Mr. Sidua Hor recommended that Government should provide adequate educational infrastructure, train more teachers and provide them with incentives to increase productivity and also post more health personnel to the rural areas, to facilitate the achievement of the MDGs.