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Confusion delays inauguration of Municipality
Accra, Feb. 29, Ghanadot/GNA - It took
the timely intervention of Sheikh I. C Quaye, Greater Accra
Regional Minister on Friday to avert a clash between
aggrieved people of Gbawe and other members of the Ga West
District Assembly over whether the newly created
Municipality should be named after Weija.
The protestors wearing red bands holding placards stormed
the venue for the inauguration ceremony at Weija to demand
for a neutral name.
The people of Gbawe wanted the Municipality to be called Ga
South for the instead of Weija.
The Minister together with Mr Busby Quartey- Papafio,
District Chief Executive (DCE) had to consult the Gbawe clan
heads and agreed to change the proposed Weija to Ga South
and adopt Gbawe as Municipal capital.
At the Gbawe Palace, Nii Adam Kwartei Quartey, Head of Gbawe
Kwatei family told newsmen their request was fair because
they did not understand why Weija which was under the
traditional jurisdiction of Gbawe should be rather given the
credit.
Sheikh Quaye identified inadequate consultation between the
Assembly and people of the area as contributing to the
misunderstanding.
He said although the change of name could have some
administrative effects, so far, as peace was at stake, the
option was better enough.
However, after that declaration, other aggrieved parties in
favour of the Weija also began their protest, but the Police
was quick to intervene to avoid a clash between the Gbawe
and Weija protestors, before the inaugural ceremony
proceeded.
At the joint ceremony which saw both Ga West Municipal and
the now Ga South Municipal inaugurated, Sheikh Quaye called
for tolerance among all factions to enable the area to
benefit from opportunities that came with attaining a
municipal status.
He mentioned social amenities and improved standard of
living as some of the important benefits associated with a
municipality.
President John Agyekum Kufuor, in a speech read on his
behalf said government’s decision to create more districts
would give meaning to effective decentralization as a tool
for good governance and accelerated development.
He noted that social programmes such as the Growth and
Poverty Reduction Strategy, National Health Insurance
Scheme, the School Feeding Programme were all being
implemented with the active involvement of assemblies and
therefore government would not relent in efforts to support
them.
He mentioned the District Development Fund, the Local
Government Service and the Functional Organization
Assessment Tool by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural
Development and Environment as some measures in place to
enhance performance standards of assemblies.
President Kufuor challenged the municipals to develop
appropriate infrastructure and level of service required by
the people and become a hub of economic activities.
“Therefore you must cherish inclusiveness, consultation with
stakeholders, regular communication and transparency”, he
added.
Mr Quarety-Papafio said with a population of over 531,000
spreading over 1,000 communities and nine area councils, Ga
West became difficult to manage, hence the elevation of its
status to a municipality.
He said since the creation of Ga West in 2001, the district
had committed over one billion Ghana cedis for projects,
adding that 44.19 per cent of the amount was spent on
education, 13. 96 per cent went into road construction and
8.78 on water provision.
The DCE said huge investment in education yielded positive
results and hinted that the district was first in the 2007
Basic education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the
Greater Accra region.
He expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the
creation of the municipalities and urged them to further
continue to support them in their development efforts.
GNA
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