TANO SOUTH DISTRICT HOLDS FIRST ORDINARY MEETING

The Tano South District Assembly has held its First Ordinary Assembly meeting. The meeting which was for the first time in attendance the Regional Minister of Brong Ahafo, Honorable Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfor had for its agenda.

· Opening remarks of the Hon Presiding Member

· Discussion of minutes of previous meetings

· Hon District Chief Executive sessional meeting address

· Discussion and acceptance of District Chief Executive’s address

· Executive Committee’s address

In his sessional address, the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon, Bukari Zakari Anaba expressed his gratitude to the assembly members and the various departmental heads for their immerse contributions and advise to the assembly. He revealed that the Institute of Local Government Studies Accra in collaboration with the Brong Ahafo Regional Coordination Council would organize an orientation workshop for Hon Assembly members to give them the opportunity to have a clear perception of the concept of decentralization as practice in Ghana to enable them live up to the challenge. This he said would help reduce the levels of poverty, especially among the rural communities in the District. The District Assemblies Common Fund constitutes the main funding of the district developmental projects. He disclosed that the quarterly allocation of the common fund represents about 75% of the districts total revenue for every annual year.

Hon Bukari Zakari Anaba underscores some developmental projects being funded by the district Assemblies Common fund from 2009 as

· Construction of 1No 3-Unit classroom with ancillary facility, at the Techimantia

· Construction of 4 No. 6-Unit classroom Block with ancillary facilities at Bechem Junction

· Construction of 2No 3 bedroom staff Quarters at Bechem

· Renovation of District Chief Executive’s residence

· Refurbishment of District Assembly Offices

· Fencing of DCE’s residence and Guest House

The District Chief Executive hinted that the Internally Generated Fund has been a great challenge to most District Assemblies, especially Tano South District. He said since 2010 – 2011 the District cannot boost of any higher generated funds. Honorable Bukari Zakari Anaba said the district being qualified for 2009 District Development Facility and FOAT assessment received an amount of GHȻ468,785.08 which were used to

· Open Bechem Town roads and other phase II

· Pave new lorry park phase I

· Construct a 1No 3-Unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Mansin

· Evacuate a refuse dump at Bechem

On education, the District Chief Executive said the Assembly sponsored last year’s mock examination in the district. He noted that all the five beneficiary schools in the District continued to receive their grants, which is enabling the caterers to feed the school children. This he said has made the Ghana School Feeding Programme Secretarial to expand the programme to other schools in the district. The District Chief Executive said the major economic activity in the district is farming and as such, the Agric Extension Agent will be available in the various operational areas to assist farmers in their fields by giving them technical assistance. He further disclosed that the Ministry of food and Agriculture will again continue with their Block farming project which was started last year. This project he said helped some selected farmers to be given inputs in the form of fertilizers, seeds and money to assist them go into the cultivation of soya beans seed, maize grain, yellow maize and rice grain.

Honorable Bukari Zakari Anaba on disaster said portions of compartment of Bosomkese Forest reserve and portions of the 2007 HIPC plantation were destroyed by fire. He said the area damaged was estimated to be 1.5 and 1.0 hectares respectively. He said a devastating rainstorm destroyed properties worth millions of cedis at Owen Nkwanta and Derma Ankaase.

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On health the District Chief Executive revealed that the district recorded no outbreak of cholera. He said the Tano South Health Insurance Scheme has a total membership of 76,802.00 comprising of 34,184.00 males and 42,618 females. He stressed that the scheme has steadily recorded an increase in its membership of 40% as at the end of the first quarter. Under the government free maternal care policy, the scheme has registered a total number of 3,119.00 women free of charge in order to prevent maternal death and its related cases. The District Chief Executive entreated the house to continue to provide their expertise and technical advice to enrich the deliberations of the assembly and work hard in their various communities to enhance the development of the district.

Also in a speech the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo congratulated the newly elected and appointed assembly members for being sworn into office to support the assembly. He commended them for the matured manner they endorsed the presiding member. The Regional Minister advised the assembly members to work hard to help achieve the better Ghana agenda. He also used the opportunity to advise the District Chief Executive to support the people in the district no matter their political affiliate.

The Tano South Member of Parliament Hon Andrews Agyei Yeboah was also present to answer some questions concerning the forestry department. He also commended Bechem United Football Club for qualifying for the premier league.