Mr Samuel Jones Tawiah, District Chief Executive (DCE), for Tain, in Brong-Ahafo, on Friday, appealed to district assembly members to place the general interest of the populace first, when implementing projects and programmes.
He said it amounted to a disservice to the people, when assembly members, through politicization, either delay or totally derail the
completion of projects meant to bring relief and improve the socio-economic lives of the masses.
Mr Tawiah was speaking at the launch of the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project (SRWSP) for the district.
He urged members of the assembly “to shed their political colours and rather remain united to accelerate the progress and development of
the district”.
SRWSP is a World Bank (WB) and International Development Agency (IDA) funded project, for selected districts in six regions of the country, including Brong-Ahafo, which has 11 out of its 22 districts and municipalities benefiting.
The Tain launch marked the last of the 11 districts. The Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Central and Western are the other beneficiary regions.
The SRWSP, costing $75 Million, with five and half years duration for completion, spans 2010 to 2016 and is aimed at increasing access
to potable water and improved sanitation in the beneficiary districts.
Mr Tawiah said water was an essential commodity and expressed the hope that members of the assembly would be committed to mobilizing
their people for a smooth execution of the project, to ensure not only its success, but speedy completion.
The DCE said to complete the project within the specified time frame would create the opportunity for the district to be considered
in other equally important projects in future.
Mr Joseph Boateng, a Water and Sanitation Engineer and Mrs Mabel Amu Taylor, an Extension Services Specialist, both at the Community
Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) regional office in Sunyani, separately addressed the assembly about the country’s SRWSP, its components, description and objectives.
Meanwhile a workshop was been organised for the 61 members of the Tain district assembly, comprising two/thirds elected and one/third
government appointees after the launch of the SRWSP.
It was meant to equip them with the required and adequate skills for effective participation in assembly proceedings and also to deepen
their knowledge about their roles and responsibilities.