Doctor Escapes Death

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December 11, 2013

The mangled Car (inset) Injury sustain On Doc’s head

A gynaecology specialist at the Volta Regional Hospital, Dr. Eric Yao Amakpa, last Friday night narrowly escaped death in an accident on the Ho-Accra road in which his VW Passat car somersaulted several times before landing up-side-down in a nearby bush.

The car, which was travelling from Ho to Accra, had a head-on collision with a Toyota Land Cruiser which had entered the lane of the doctor. The Land Cruiser was overtaking another vehicle from the Accra end of the road.

Dr. Amakpa, who sustained a deep cut on his head, said he got out of the mangled car after he forcibly opened the door.He attributed his survival to the grace of God, the seatbelt he wore and the airbags.

“I was on my way to Accra when all of a sudden I saw a car overtaking another car in front of me [from the opposite direction]. I just rolled over… for about seven times and the car finally stopped and I forced the door open and came out,” Dr. Amakpa told Accra-based Joy FM.

The driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mensah Nunyuie, sustained no injuries, as his vehicle only had its front left tyre damaged.

He however told the same station that he was swerving another vehicle in front of him, after some police officers suddenly appeared on the road. In the process a VW-Passat also speedily approached from a curve opposite him, resulting in the head-on collision.

The police in Ho confirmed the story and promised to give details later.

Ghanaians asked to Join Fight against Poor Sanitation

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Kwadwo Duodu

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December 11, 2013

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Francis Ganyaglo- Deputy Regional Minister

Ghanaians have been charged to join forces with the District Assemblies and other stakeholders to effectively tackle the poor sanitation menace confronting the country.

Speaking at a durbar to climax this year’s sanitation week celebration in Ho, on the theme ‘Total sanitation, our collective responsibility’, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Francis Ganyaglo said sanitation is both a right and a responsibility for which individuals and households and organisations must ‘begin to do the right thing’.

Hon. Ganyanglo observed that tackling poor sanitation will boast tourism attraction in the Ho Municipality and also strengthen the socio-economic development of the Volta region.

The Deputy Minister further disclosed that poor sanitation according to a report by the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), costs the country about 420 million Ghana cedis annually.

He therefore called on the media to also use their platforms to propagate the issues of proper sanitation practices to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals Seven (7).

The Ho Municipal Health Director, Dr. Atsu Seake-Kwawu, expressed worry about the negative attitudes of some individuals towards sanitation practices. He said as a result, malaria, typhoid diarrhoea and intestinal worm infestations are among the top 10 ailments that are reported in health facilities across the region.

He urged Ghanaians to observe basic personal hygiene practices to prevent further outbreak of diseases and also stressed the need for sanitation workers to be provided with the logistics and technical capacities to be work.

The Ho Municipality just like most assemblies across the country still grapples with inadequate logistics in tackling improper sanitation practices including open defecation; rubbish strewn alley, choked gutters and poor food hygiene by food vendors, among others. Hence the Sanitation Week celebration to sensitize residents and drum home the need for proper sanitation practices.

The week celebration which coincided with this year’s world toilet day on November, 19 was in collaboration with the North-South Local Government Coordination Programme, a sister city partnership involving the City of Lahti (Finland), and Ho (Ghana) and Bojanala Platinum (South Africa).

However most residents did not turn at the durbar organised at the RTC Park near the Ho central market, as only school pupils and officials of Decentralized Agencies participated in the programme.

Mr. Edward Gidiglo, Ho Municipal Coordinating Director speaking at the durbar said the collective effort s of every individual to avoid throwing rubbish around would result in a remarkable clean city and further stated that the Assembly would continue to involve all residents in efforts to improve sanitation of the area.

Ms. Anna Aalto

Ms. Anna Aalto, Project Coordinator of the North-South Local Government Coordination Programme, said sanitation remains one of the key issues in most developing countries and as human population increases, it was important for sanitation coverage to rise along with water coverage.

She also stressed the importance of recycling to both natural environment and human in minimizing pollution and its related health problems and called for commitment on the part of the environmental health officers and other stakeholders in educating the public on the need for good sanitation.

Some of the activities of the week celebration were debate, quiz and art competition among selected basics within the municipality and a massive cleanup exercise by soldiers from the 66th Artillery Regiment and their counterparts from the Fire Service at the Ho lorry station and the central market, dislodging and flushing choked drains among others.

Ho M.C.E confirmed amidst Controversy

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Kwadwo Duodu

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December 8, 2013

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Mrs. Adinyira (left) taking her oath of office

Members of the Ho Municipal Assembly on Monday confirmed Mrs. Fafa Adinyira, as the first woman Municipal Chief Executive after she polled 27 votes against 14 in the second round of the polls.

Mrs. Adinyira could not get the two third votes of the 42 member House in the first round when she got only 26 votes in favour and 15 against. It was only after an hour’s break when there were a lot of consultations and lobbying that the tides changed in her favour.

The nominee whose rejection in September led to a spontaneous protest and agitation by women group including market women led by their queen, Mama Mansah Dagbey, who is now part of the new government appointees.

Before the proceedings begun, the Presiding Member Hon. Yao Semordey announced to members a letter received from the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and signed by the Minister, Hon. Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, revoking the appointment of all 14 government appointees to the assembly and subsequent nomination of new persons who were to be sworn in to take part in the proceedings.

The move didn’t go down well with some of the assembly members, as they argued that the procedure adopted to introduce and swear in new members was alien to the assembly standing orders and moreover that wasn’t part of the agenda served them.

“The attempt to stampede the process cannot see the light of day in the Ho municipal assembly, if it has taken place elsewhere, certainly it cannot take happen in here. Let’s make this clear to the powers that be.” Mr. Delali Kasu an assembly member said and described the move as an ‘ambush attack’ on assembly members.

Some Assembly members also questioned the re-nomination of Mrs. Adinyira, with the contention that she lost without attaining 50 percent votes in the previous elections held on the 10th of September this year. They argued that in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Assembly and the Local Government Law, it is an illegality to re-nominate her.

But the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Francis Ganyaglo quoted an amendment to the law. He quoted Article 16 clause as amended in the Local Government Law to the effect that the President’s action is in accordance with the law.

The development brought a lot of heated arguments and comments in disagreement for close to an hour but the 14 new government appointees were sworn in paving way for voting to commence.

In a brief remark before the voting, the Volta regional minister Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo admonished the assembly members not to act in a manner that will send signals to country that there is a power struggle between the president of the country and members of an assembly with the appointment of a chief executive. “In our Ghanaian culture, the decision of our elders is respected and never challenge, even if you have a contrary view” he said and asked the members to trust the president’s choice of Mrs. Adinyira as MCE.

The assembly members were however not perturbed by the minister’s admonition as the woman was only given the nod after the second round of voting.

Regional Minister (R) and his Deputy

Top echelon of the NDC, including Mr. Kwesi Aboagye, and Simon Amegashie-Viglo regional chairman and secretary respectively, and some municipal and District Chief executives from the region were present at the meeting. There were also scores of police officers during the proceedings.

Ho Polytechnic offer ‘Conditional Admission’ to HND students

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Kwadwo Duodu

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December 8, 2013

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Dr. J.V.K Afun

Majority of fresh students admitted into Ho Polytechnic to pursue various Higher National Diploma programmes for the 2013/14 academic year are on ‘conditional admission’ pending their successful completion of a three month special access programme.

Addressing the Polytechnic’s 21^st matriculation ceremony for 1,563 fresh students the Rector, Dr. Victor Jakpasu Afun, said the almost 800 fresh students do not obtained ‘credit’ passes in some of the core subjects but their total aggregates in 5 subjects did not exceed 30, which is the minimum admission requirement.

The special access courses according to the Rector will be run concurrently with the regular HND programmes and students who do not ‘justify their inclusion’ at the end of the three months will be exited from the polytechnic.

He further explained the ‘conditional admission’ offer is targeted at addressing the peculiar admission situation this year in which two streams of students completed senior High school.

Dr. Afun therefore urged the students to take the access courses very serious and cautioned that “we are not going to give the opportunity to you next year to register for this special access course; this is a onetime offer and if you decide to fail, then we have to show you the exit from Ho polytechnic”.

The rector also disclosed that, the Polytechnic this year offered admission to 2,263 and 701 applicants for both tertiary and non-tertiary programmes respectively out of a total of 3,056 applications received but only 1,563 accepted the offer.

The fresh students who took the matriculation oath administered by the Registrar; Mr. David Dzontoh will be studying in the faculties of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Technology, Art and Design, Business and Management Studies.

Dr. J.V.K Afun advised the matriculating students to cut off any spirit of mediocrity and negative feeling they had about polytechnic education, stating that “Your choice to Ho polytechnic is neither by mistake or accident”.

The rector also observed that certificates did not matter as what one could use his or her head, heart and hand to do after acquisition of the certificates, he thus charged the students to make good use of the opportunity to acquire useful skills as polytechnic graduates are “five times more likely to be employed…than those with others”.

Dr. Afun again stated that the polytechnic would not countenance indiscipline, fighting, assault, unruly behaviours, excessive noise making, provocative dressing, drug use and sexual assault.

“Even though lectures do not appear to be compulsory, anyone who absents himself of herself for 14 consecutive days will be barred from writing the end of semester exams,” he stated.

He therefore urged the students to adhere to all rules and regulations stipulated in the student handbook, as they enjoy their freedom on campus.

He also admonished the students not to study without praying but not to use all their time praying and evangelising at the detriment of their books.

PHOTO: President Mahama Embraces a Young Boy

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 23, 2013

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This young boy had a rare moment of his life when he found himself in the arms of President Mahama at the St. Pauls SHS Park, Denu during the president’s working tour of the Volta region.

He was among the huge crowd that gathered at the park to catch a glimpse of the president when he disembarked from an air force Helicopter. Despite his height, he manoeuvred his way through the crowd to have a proper glimpse of the president but little did he know that he would be pushed around by the crowd until he find his way into the arms of President Mahama, with tears.

President Mahama Tour Volta Region

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 23, 2013

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President John Mahama last weekend embarked on a 2-day working tour of the Volta region. The tour according to the president was to say ‘thank you’ to the people of the region and also to inspect ongoing projects as well as cut sod for new ones.

The president’s first stop was the permanent site of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, where he inspected on-going construction of the academic and administrative facilities of the university’s Faculty of Biomedical Sciences. He directed the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to release the counterpart funding of about GH¢3.2 million to ensure early completion of the first phase project which is expected to completedin 16 months.

President Mahama also instructed highway engineers to work on the road to the university, adding that he had already given a directive for water and electricity to be extended to the site.

Sod for the construction of the university was cut by late President John Evans Atta Mills and it is being funded by the Chinese Government.

Meeting with Chiefs

At a meeting with members of the Volta regional house of chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, President of the House in a welcome address commended President Mahama for initiating a number of development projects in the Region, including the ongoing rehabilitation of the house of chiefs building and the completion of one of the three bungalows for the VRHC. He however appealed to President to release funds for the speedy completion of the projects.

President Mahama with Togbe Afede

Togbe Afede who is also the paramount chief of Asogli traditional area, asked the president to expedite work on the upgrading of the regional hospital in Ho into a teaching hospital to aid the training of medical students by the University of Health and Allied Sciences. He also appealed to the president to consider the rehabilitation and expansion of the Ho municipal hospital into a modern hospital to serve the health care needs of the people. He further asked the government build an airstrip to link the Volta Region to other regions by air.

Togbe Afede also commended President Mahama for the steps he had taken to eliminate corruption in the country, adding “Corrupt Officials are like termites and should be eliminated”.

President Mahama in response said his government is committed to delivering on its mandate and assured the chiefs that all ongoing projects in the region will be completed and more will be added.

He said, he had directed the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to release money from the Eurobond account for the execution of the Eastern Corridor Road project, while the financial arrangement for the expansion of the Volta Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital was being finalised.

He said due to the importance of the Eastern Corridor Road project, works on the various sections would be carried out simultaneously.

He also said the government would spend GH¢ 470 million to absorb the 25 per cent of electricity tariff increases, saying it was necessary to mitigate the burden on the masses that were hard-hit.

President Mahama explained that the tariffs adjustment was necessary to attract private sector participation in the generation of power to meet the 5000 megawatts target for domestic consumption and export.

The President said the Region would also be a major beneficiary of the Chinese Development Bank loan, which would be used in constructing landing sites along the Volta Lake as part of the eastern corridor multi-modal transport project.

Ho Central Market

President Mahama and his entourage also interactedwith traders at Ho Central Market, where he expressed disappointment over the non-start of reconstruction works at the market, one and half years after he launch the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP), under which the market reconstruction was to be executed.

He however assured the traders that work on the rehabilitation of the market would start soon.

Meeting with NDC Party

Addressing members of the NDC at the residency conference hall, president Mahama promised to perform in all the sectors of the economy to justify the mandate Ghanaians had given him for the next four years, despite the challenges that confronted his administration.

“The year started on a rather bad note, with series of fire outbreaks in our major markets, followed by the election petition, industrial strikes, energy crisis, among other issues, but thank God we are gradually getting out of them,” President Mahama said but added his government had drawn up a comprehensive programme that would address those challenges.

He therefore advised Party members not to throw their hands up in despair, but should rather throw their weight behind all government officials to execute their duties responsibly to achieve the government’s better Ghana agenda programme

President Mahama rounded up day one of his 2-days tour at Nkwanta, where he inspected progress of work on the eastern corridor road project and also addressed durbar organised in his honour.

What ran through the President’s interactions with the people was the assurance that he would certainly deliver all the projects that he promised Ghanaians during the 2012 electioneering by the end of 2016.

Aflao Sod Cutting

President Mahama started his second day of the tour at Aflao in the Ketu South municipality, where he addressed a durbar of chief and people in the area. The president also broke grounds for the construction of a modern Metro Mass Transit

Terminal.

Since he was elected President in December 2012, Mr John Dramani Mahama has been dogged by some domestic challenges. The December 2012 election petition, labour agitation and general economic problems are some of the challenges he had had to deal with.

The project, which would cost 900,000 Ghana cedis, would serve as a transit point for vehicles that would be leaving Accra to and from Togo and Benin.

President Mahama said Aflao, as a transit point, deserved better and Government would assist and ensure that in all projects blossomed to serve the citizenry and beyond.

From Aflao, President Mahama and his entourage went to Akplorwortokor in the Keta Municipality where he commissioned the first and second phases of the sea defence project and cut the sod for the execution of the third phase, which is scheduled to be completed in August 2014.

Durbar at Anloga

President Mahama ended his two-day working tour of the Volta region with a durbar at Hogbe park at Anloga where pledged government’s support for the formation of the Keta Basin Development Authority to supervise the execution of development projects in the Keta Lagoon Basin.

As a first step, he said, the government would initiate legislation for the establishment of the authority.

President Mahama greeting Torgbui Sri

Besides, he said, funds would be made available for the execution of projects to be spearheaded by the authority in the region.

For instance, the President said, the Keta Lagoon Basin had the potential to produce salt, and for agricultural production.

He said the failure of some chiefs and families to release land for investment projects was hindering development in the country.

He, therefore, appealed to chiefs and families to release land for investments, since that would create jobs and promote the welfare of their people.

Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of the Anlo State, said the establishment of authority was crucial for the development of the Anlo State.

He thanked the government for the development projects in the area, including the sea defence project, and requested it to extend electricity to remote areas.

He said the chiefs and people of the Anlo State would support any government that would be interested in the development of the area.

The president was accompanied on the tour by Alhaji Baba Kamara, Senior Presidential advisor, Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, Volta Regional Minister , Mr. Douglas Prosper Bani, chief of staff and executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress.

Armed Forces Provide free health care to Nyagbo-Agodome community

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 22, 2013

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A soldier paramedic attending to a patient

The entire community of Nyagbo-Agodome in the Afadjato south district of the Volta region was filled with excitement when a medical team from the Military Academy of the Ghana Armed Forces brought health care to their door steps last Friday.

The nine member medical team comprising a medical doctor, a Principal Nursing officer and six other paramedics screened and treated about 500 persons of various ailments.

Ailments diagnosed and treated according to Dr. Munkaila Masuru, include, hypertension, skin disorders, Malaria, Pneumonia and others which the team administered hypertension drugs, analgesics, de-wormers, minerals, vitamin supplements and anti-malaria drugs free of charge. Persons with severe conditions were however referred to the Volta regional hospital for further treatment.

Major Patience Awumee an instructor at the Military Academy and a Principal Nursing Officer told Dailyguide that the rationale behind the exercise was to show appreciation to the communities in the Ho-west and Afadjato-south districts which host cadets from the Military academy annually on a training programme dubbed the ‘Eastern Trek’.

The team also presented assorted medical disposables including, dressing gauze, gloves, thermometers, syringes and needles, cotton wool, anaesthetic masks, bleach among others to the Nyagbo and Amedzofe health centres respectively.

Okusie Akyemfoli V, chief of Amedzofe, who received the items on behave of the Amedzofe health centre, thanked the Ghana armed forces for the gesture and promise the items will be put to good use.

He also asked the military high command to consider constructing a permanent structure in the area to accommodate the cadets and officers during the training exercise instead of sleeping in classrooms.

Earlier, the cadets led by their instructors and the commander of the Ghana Military academy, Col. Francis Buliga presented 150 mahogany seedlings to the Nyagbo-gagbefe D/A basic school and also planted some trees on the school compound to climax their one week training exercise.

Major Awumee presenting the items

Prayer Camps not Delivery Homes- Midwife

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 12, 2013

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Madam Innocentia Anthonio

A principal nursing officer at the Ho Municipal Hospital, Madam Innocentia Anthonio, has asked pastors to desist from keeping pregnant women in prayer camps and instead refer them to the health centres for ante-natal services.

According to her, some pastors have turned themselves into midwives admitting pregnant women in prayer camps until their conditions get critical before rushing them to a health facility.

Speaking at a day’s orientation for media practitioners in Ho, on the importance of maternal health issues, Madam Anthonio said deaths from childbirth were largely preventable but delays of pregnant women in getting to health centres coupled with weird religious beliefs contribute to maternal deaths.

“You cannot do deliveries; your job is to pray. So don’t delay them, let them come to the hospital to deliver” Madam Anthonio said, stressing that “am not against prayer but give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar”.

She advised pregnant women to take the attendance at antenatal clinics seriously to ensure their safe delivery.

Madam Anthonio also called on the media to engage in a crusade to get people to understand all that go into maternal healthcare.

Attitude of Health workers

Dr. Asare

Participants at the programme also pointed to the bad attitude of some health workers towards patients, as a major factor which discouraged people to seek services from the facilities.

Dr Kwesi Asare Bediako, Medical Superintendent of the Keta Government Hospital, alluded to the claims and said many clients, including pregnant women virtually shrink at the need to have to return to the same facilities that they were mistreated and could keep postponing the visit until they were rushed back in critical condition.

He however disclosed that the Ghana Health Service has begun a training programme for its staff across the country on customer care. “Poor handling of clients is a major challenge in the health service; but we are changing. We are conducting in-service training for all categories of staff in customer care”.

He also disclosed that the GHS has included customer care in the curricular of all health training institutions and “all students who enter the schools are train in customer care especially in communication skills”.

Ghana Gets ‘Anti-Terrorism’ Taskforce

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 5, 2013

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Inspector-General of Police

The first batch of One hundred and forty police officers have successfully ended a one month intensive police training with focus on Specialized Training Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) at the Ho Police Training School on Friday.

The officers drawn from the eleven police regions received training in handling critical security situations including terrorism, violent crimes, mob action, hostage rescuing, armed robbery and the protection of VIPs and vital national installations.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said the changing trend in criminal activities including terrorism across the world, especially in Africa and the sub-region is a challenge to the security agencies and “we in Ghana cannot pretend not to be concern”.

He noted that “the only way to secure our nation is for us to continuously train our personnel to be abreast with the changing and more difficult challenges of modern policing”.

Mr. Alhassan tasked the officers to live their lives “both on duty and off duty with the highest discipline and integrity” and not see themselves as ‘special elites’ and be demanding for special treatment.

Some of the Officers

“See yourselves as the privileged few who have been call upon to go beyond the normal performance of our duty” the IGP emphasized and cautioned the officers against the abuse of the skills acquired.

Director-General of Police operations, COP John Kudalor said the officers have equipped to respond effectively and efficiently to violent situations including terror attacks in any part of the country.

COP Kudalor, also disclosed that the recently inaugurated “Formed Police Unit (FPU), will have an ‘Anti-Terrorism’ unit to combat any act terrorism and violent crimes.

He however called for the support of the general public by reporting any suspicious characters in the communities. “The police service is ready, despite our training but we cannot do it alone. Security is a shared responsibility” he said.

New Police recruits on parade

In a related development, 294 police recruits have passed out from the Ho Police Training School in last Thursday after six months of training.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) in-charge of finance, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, charged the new constables to uphold the professional integrity of the service in the discharge of their duties.

According to him the police service has so many good police officers and only few officers tarnishing the image of the service. He therefore asked families to help the new police officers develop good social values to compliment their professional ethics for the benefit of the nation.

The recruits were trained in criminal law, criminal procedure and investigation, law of evidence, acts and decrees, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and service instructions, among other topics.

Five recruits who distinguished themselves during the training were honoured, with Isaac Baffoe-Koranteng being the best academician and over-all best recruit.

Gov’t Stop Common Fund Of Orphan Districts

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Kwadwo Duodu

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November 5, 2013

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The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has stopped the disbursement of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) to assemblies without substantive chief executives.

This came to light at the general meeting of Ho Municipal Assembly on last Wednesday.

Presenting the assembly’s 2014 Composite Budget, Francis Sogbe, Municipal Finance Officer, told assembly members that the Ministry of Local Government had directed that the transfer of common fund allocation to ‘orphan’ assemblies be withheld until substantive chief executives are in place.

“First quarter has been released but the assembly’s share has not been transferred to us. The reason is that the Ministry of Local Government says all assemblies that do not have substantive chief executives will not receive their money until a substantive chief executive is appointed.”

Mr. Sogbe said this in response to a question posed by one of the assembly members as to whether the assembly had received its share of the 2013 DACF.

He however disclosed that the disability and MP’s allocations had been transferred to their various accounts.

The Ho Municipality is one of the five assemblies without chief executives in the Volta region.

The Assembly members in September rejected the President’s nominee, Fafa Adinyira.

The lack of Common Fund has adversely affected the execution of projects within the municipality.

Some assembly members have complained about delay in the execution of developmental projects in their communities, which were captured in the 2013 Budget.