Duakwa Youth protest against Agona West MCE

Agona Duakwa, (C/R), Sept 22, GNA- The Youth of Agona Duakwa have registered their displeasure against the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the Assembly on the decision to construct a six classroom block and other facilities for the Salvation Army School for the Deaf at Agona Swedru.

Nana Kwaw Arhinsah, Tufuhene of Agona Duakwa, who said this at a press conference on Sunday at Duakwa, gave a three-day ultimatum to the MCE, Mr Ben Mensah, to rescind his decision or else they would stage a massive demonstration against him.

He said about four year ago, the Territorial Commander of the Salvation Army Ghana, visited Duakwa and informed the chiefs about the proposed project for the town.

According to the Tufuhene, the Commander told the Chiefs and people that, because of the presence of a clinic for the disabled at Agona Duakwa, the church has decided to construct the school there, to make it easy for the children to attend school after they had received treatment.

He noted that the Chief of Agona Duakwa, Nana Kojo Amoakwa V, and other chiefs agreed and released a plot of land for the project. The Tufuhene explained that, about two weeks ago, the Swedru Divisional Commander (DC) of the Salvation Army and General Manager (GM) of Salvation Army Education Unit informed the chiefs that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Get fund) had approved the construction of the six classroom unit block and other facilities.

He pointed out that the DC and GM later inform the chiefs that Mr Mensah, who is a citizen of Duakwa has decided to construct the facility at Agona Swedru, instead of Agona Duakwa. He said the DC told the chiefs that Mr Mensah told them at the meeting that the Municipal Assembly has acquired a land at the cost of GHC 10,000 to start the project. The Tufuhene said the late Mr Amoako Attah was the one who brought the Salvation Army Church to Agona Duakwa in 1922 before spreading all over the country.

Nana Arhinsah therefore appealed to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the Director of Special Education to site the school at Duakwa to ensure peace and development in the area. Mr Mensah, on his part said he has not decided to site the project at Swedru, but it was the Special Education Directorate of the Ministry of Education that asked the Assembly to construct the school there. The MCE denied that Agona Duakwa was a village and therefore the project could not be sited there.