Western Regional Minister pledges to improve security in the region

Statistics on crime in the year 2019 calls for extra efforts on the part of the security agencies in the management of security, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said.

He said as many as 19 murders and 13 armed robbery cases were recorded in the Western Region alone, and that was a worrying situation.

"The last victim was the NPP Treasurer of the Takoradi Constituency, Mr. Mark Ofori who was shot dead in his house in the early hours of October 30, 2019.

"These incidents, combined with public dissatisfaction at the way the police handled the kidnapping issues, are resulting in the residents getting agitated, but despite the numerous security threats and incidents recorded, we will assure you that the Region is stable," The Regional Minister said.

The Minister said the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council was committed to resourcing the Security Agencies for intensive Police-Military patrols in the New Year.

The Regional Minister was speaking during an interaction with the Media on happenings within the previous years and plans for 2020 to advance the Region's development agenda.

Reviewing activities in the previous year, the Minister said 50,038 farmers benefited from the Planting for Food and Jobs, comprising 29,739 males and 20,300 females with over 20,319 hectares under cultivation.

The Wassa East District had been selected as a pilot district for Aquacultures for Food and Jobs under which 29 males and five females acquired lands for ponds construction.

Mr Darko-Mensah said Planting for Exports and Rural Development had also helped 10,221 farmers comprising 8,749 males and 1,462 females in the cultivation of the four selected crops being coconut, cocoa, oil palm and rubber for which a total of 5,437.75 hectares were under cultivation.

Under the One District, One Factory (1D1F), 24 factories had been rolled out in 13 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAS) and this had been approved by the 1D1F Secretariat including KEDA Ceramic Factory in the Shama District, which had employed over 1,000 workers.

On the National Builder’s Corps (NABCO), a total of 5,403 trainees made of 3,300 males and 2,103 females have been engaged in the Western Region under modules such as: Educate, Health, Revenue, Enterprise, Civic, Digital and Feed Ghana.

The Minister said the Street Naming and Public Addressing System, was an innovative project aimed at providing convenient and quick time social services, especially, emergency services to members of the public.

The Minister spoke on reconstruction and resealing of roads such as the Aboso-Darmang, Takoradi-Tarkwa, Telekubokazo-Aniben Road and the Dualisation of Kansaworodo by-pass.

Others include the resealing of Bogoso-Prestea Road and construction of the Apowa-Mpohor Roads.

The modernization of the Railway Training School at Essikado and the rehabilitation of the Location Workshop at Ketan have been completed attesting to government commitment to the sector.

Mr. Darko-Mensah said the various assemblies have undertaken a lot of projects and programmes financed by their Internally Generated Funds (IGF), District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF), District Development Facility (DDF) and the Government of Ghana.

Whiles appreciating the media for the contribution to the development of the Region, encouraged them to do more by working with relevant information devoid of sensationalism for good public discourse.