Gov't urged to release adequate funds for rural development

The Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has called on the government to ensure adequate release of financial resources to finance social infrastruture at the rural areas to enhance development and the living standards of a greater population of the people.

He said since a large number of the country's population live at the rural areas and also provide the bulk of the nation's resources, more financial and logistical assistance such as construction of roads, classroom blocks, health centres and potable water should be provided to improve development in the communities.

Osagyefuo Ofori Panin was addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day annual District Chief Executives meeting at Nkawkaw on Tuesday.

He said due to the high rate of poverty, hunger, diseases and unemployment in the rural areas, the government should mobilise all available local and foreign resources to enhance the development of the rural folks to enable them to contribute towards the development of the country.

The Okyehene disclosed that he had received a lot of complaints about the poor performance of some District Assemblies after a tour of 160 communities in the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area and therefore, advised the DCEs to use their resources to develop the rural areas.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama advised them to implement all programmes under the decentralisation process to ensure its success.

She urged them to use five per cent of their common fund to provide infrastructure and logistics for the establishment of the sub-structures of the decentralisation programme and also hold monthly meetings with their staff to be abreast with their programmes.

Hajia Mahama warned the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives not to construct a three-classroom block, office and store to exceed 160 million cedis from the HIPC fund and even where it should be exceeded the differences should be founded from other sources.

She advised them to ensure that all contracts being awarded pass through the tender boards to avoid malpractices in the execution of the projects.

In a ten point communiqu? issued by the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives they called on the government to ensure early implementation of all programmes under the discentralisation process to enhance development in the districts.

They also called for the supply of adequate logistics including vehicles to enhance their work for they have been in office for two years without any good vehicles and also urged the Finance Minister to ensure early distribution of common fund to enable them finance more development projects in the communities.

They also urged the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs to ensure effective dissemination of information to enable them to educate the people on government programmes and policies as well as to ensure the settlement of chieftaincy disputes in the communities to enhance peace and development.

They appealed for more funds to complete projects under the Village lnfrastructural Projects (VIP) in the communities and also involved them in the awards of contracts for feeder roads construction and rehabilitation for effective supervision.

They called for a shake up at the Non-Formal Education Division of the Ministry of Education and employ qualify personnel to enhance their performances and also provide adequate cinema vans to the Information Services Department to serve as a propaganda tool to educate the people on programmes and policies and programmes of the government.