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The Ada West District Assembly has held its mid-year review meeting at Sege, the district capital, with a call on the citizens to help propel the overall development of the local economy.
Organised by the District Planning Coordinating Unit of the assembly, it was on the theme: “Advancing progress, bringing governance to the doorstep of the people”.
It was attended by stakeholders of the assembly’s jurisdiction and chaired by the Presiding Member, Philip Tetteh Sai.
Speaking at the meeting held last Wednesday, the District Coordinating Director, Aaron Otoo, assured the people of the area that the assembly was working to better their lot.
Mr Otoo disclosed that during an assessment of the performance contract for 2022, the Ada West District Assembly placed 77, out of the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country and it was the 14th out of 29 MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region, stressing “We want to improve on our lot to become the most resilient and developed assembly in Ghana”.
The Ada West District Planning Officer, Stella Kpodo, in a presentation, said in pursuance of the implementation of the 2023 Performance Contract for the assembly, there was a need for a Joint Hall Town Hall Meeting to review the year 2023 and also inform the citizens about proposed activities for 2024, adding “It is also in fulfilment of a requirement in the Local Governance Act 936 of 2016”.
Reporting on the 2023 revenue generated from the internally generated fund (IGF), Ms Kpodo said the district collected an amount of GH¢ 771, 056.87 out of an estimated projection of GH¢1, 1,533.400, representing 50.28 per cent as of June.
On the financial performance of the assembly as of June 2023, she said IGF, District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), Public Works Department (PWD), UNICEF, Donor Fund, HIV, among other funding estimates, amounted to GH¢10, 313, 124.98 out of which the actual money collected and received was GH¢3,217, 684.2, representing 31.02 per cent.
She said in the same way, the summary of the implementation of projects for the year was also 31.02 per cent.
Ms Kpodo mentioned the construction of a three-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Sorkope-Segese, the renovation of existing school infrastructure (teachers quarters), the renovation of a maternity unit of Bornikope Health Centre, the construction of a four-unit storey, one-bedroom apartment nurses quarters at Sege Staff Village and the construction of CHPS Compound at Abuanorkope, among others, as projects, which were nearing completion.
She said the challenges the district was facing included low IGF, inadequate logistics for sanitation and disaster management, inadequate and irregular funding from the central government and donor partners, unresolved boundary disputes between Ada West District Assembly, North Tongu, Ada East and Ningo- Prampram Districts and litigation on lands for development.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah, in his brief closing remarks, noted that he was happy, enthused and encouraged by the attendance at the stakeholders meeting, which indicated that they had genuine concern for their own development in the district.
On the issue of the Songor Lagoon, one of the main sources of IGF for the assembly, which featured severally during question time, Mr Kpankpah gave an assurance that the assembly was going to make sure that the master plan of the Songor Lagoon would be implemented, adding “My doors are openas an assembly for any input from groups or individuals’’.
There were presentations from the departments of the assembly, including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Physical Planning Department of the assembly, the Electricity Company of Ghana, Rent Control and Ghana National Ambulance Service, among others.
