STREET NAMINNG AND PROPERTY ADDRESSING PROJECT COMMISSIONED AT BECHEM

The first phase of the Street Naming and Property Addressing Project at Bechem the Tano South District Capital has been completed and Commissioned at a colorful ceremony held at Bechem.

Dignitaries commissioning the project

The first phase of the project which comprised the naming of fifty (50) streets and the numbering of 1,500 houses was in response to a government directive that the project should be completed within 18 months throughout the country.

The Tano South District Town and Country Planning Officer, Mrs. Honorata Aboagye in an opening remark said the project which would go a long way to help in the developmental efforts of the Assembly has a lot of advantages and would commend the Assembly in taking a bold step to be in the forefront of this all important project and commended the volunteers who worked tirelessly to have the first phase of the project completed on time and said the doors of the SAT Committee at the Assembly are wide open for suggestions and criticisms on the work done so far on the project.

                          

Mrs. Honorata Aboagye the District Town and Country Planning Officer, giving her welcome address

The Regional Town and Country Planning Officer, Mr. Anthony Gyamera in a short speech elaborated the need for street naming and property addressing and its importance to a community and commended the Tano South District Chief Executive for honoring  his promise of seeing to the effective handling of the project and executing it on schedule.

Mr. Gyamera called on all and sundry to be mindful of the fact that though the first phase has been completed it might not go without some mistakes so they should not hesitate to bring in ideas and suggestion to enable the second phase of the project be carried out in a smooth and effective manner.

                                  

The Regional Town and Country Planning Officer, Mr. Anthony Gyamera specking at the function

In a speech to commission the project, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said the project which is a governmental directive was launch in April, 2012 by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama who was then Vice President in Kumasi and was to be completed in a period of time.

Hon. Anaba said in line with this directive, the Tano South District Assembly constituted and inaugurated a team to start work and was happy to note that he first phase of street naming and property addressing exercise for Bechem, the District Capital has been completed where fifty (50) streets have been named

and 1,500 houses numbered but said the system is a continuous exercise and as a result the next phase of the project would commence immediately where streets in other communities within the District would be named.

                             

Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba giving his keynote address

Hon. Anaba said the policy which aimed at ensuring harmonization, consistency, efficiency and standardization of street addressing system in various areas cannot be over emphasized in its I mportance since it intends to design an easy identification and proper planning of our physical structures within each area and it is important to use this opportunity to dispel the notion that the Street Naming and Property Addressing exercise is only designed for the purpose of Taxation but rather structured to correct most of the problems that have engulfed our physical development planning.

Hon. Anaba commended the Rural Technology Facility at Bechem which produced the signages for the project and appealed to other Districts which are yet to produce the signages for the project to consider the engagement of Rural Technology Facility (RTF) Bechem and also commended the Traditional Rulers (Nananom), Assembly Members, Staff of the Assembly, Volunteers who were engaged for the project and all other Stakeholders whose collaboration and contribution has brought the Assembly so far and called on all to continue to remain united and support the development agenda of the Assembly to make lives better for our people.

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, the Omanhene of Bechem Traditional Area who chaired the function elaborated the importance of street naming and property addressing system and said it will not only help in easy identification of places but help in our developmental efforts and also generate funds for development.

                              

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Omanhene of Bechem addressing the gathering

Nana commended the Tano South District Assembly for carrying out the project in an effective manner but said though the project has been well executed and managed it might not go without some setbacks and called on all to come out with opinions and criticisms if any to enable the necessary corrections to be made so that such mistakes would not be repeated in the second phase and thanked all gathered for gracing the occasion with their presence.

STAKEHOLDERS FORUM ON ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH HELD AT BECHEM

Futures Group (Europe), a Non Governmental Organization based in the United Kingdom, in conjunction with the Tano South District Assembly with its implementation Partners ( IPs) has held a Stakeholders Forum for sixty (60) participants drawn from communities in the Tano South District on Adolescent Reproductive Health (ASRH) at Bechem.

             

A section of participants and resource persons at the forum

In an opening address, the focal person on ASRH, Mrs. Isahaka Fatimatu said the forum which is an advocacy event was aimed to sensitize and advocate stakeholders support for adolescent health improvement intervention and curb exposure o adolescents to alcoholism, pornography, illegal abortion, drug abuse and other vices that affect adolescents and youth in the District.

                                          

Mrs. Isahaka Fatimatu deliving her opening remarks

Mrs Fatimatu entreated participants to endeavor to grasp all what would be told there since they would be in the forefront of advocating and sensitizing the public on the topic and thanked them for honoring the invitation.

Speaking on social vices of adolescents in the District, the District Police Commander, DSP Emmanuel Baah retaliated that the development of any nation stands on the training of its children and there is the need to give proper upbringing of our children.

DSP Emmanuel Baah said some of the major crimes in the District amongst the youth include defilement, stealing and gambling. He said some of the children in the course of using the computer learn how to communicate with people abroad which later turns to defrauding those people.

                                 

DSP Baah in his presentation at the forum

DSP Baah said stealing among the youth requires to be sent to court for prosecution and sentence but when such short sentences are imposed on them; it becomes a record on the adolescent that the adolescent is a criminal and this record goes a long way to ruin the future career of the person as all these in effect would turn to retard progress and development and also lamented on the spate of teenage pregnancies which has cropped up in our schools.

DSP Baah said it is not the number of cases or people the police sent to court for prosecution and sentence that shows the police is working but rolling up programmes to educate the people to be mindful of their civic responsibilities as the police would do their best to curb all these criminal activities engaged in by our adolescents but would need the help of the people in reporting all cases since the police would not be able to track down all criminal activities and also try to give proper training to our children and teach them to be creative.

A resource person, Madam Magaret Aboligu who is a Deputy Director of Nursing Service of the Tano South District Health Directorate on the key issues and problems on adolescent sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) said most of the work on related issues on adolescent reproductive health rest largely on the Ministry of Health but lack of funds have hampered the work and said as participants are key Stakeholders, much would depend on them in propagating the issues and problems on adolescent reproductive health and described who an adolescent is and said these group constitute 21% of the District’s population of 85,000.

                                  

Madam Aboligu specking at the forum

Madam Aboligu, said a number of teenage pregnancies experienced by our adolescents are due to peer influence and when such an occurrence happens, the girls are tempted to abort it due to been mocked at by friends. She said the District experienced 221 related teenage pregnancies in the first half of 2014 out of which 102 criminal abortions and 4 deaths were recorded and all these came about due to the pornographic pictures our children watch as a 12 year old boy can impregnate a female.

She said Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) are also common with our adolescent since these are derived from the unsafe sex they practice and a factor which makes a child to go in for sex is partly blamed on the inability of the girl to be able to come by some basic needs required by her which leads to her resorting to taking a boyfriend to be able to come by those needs.

A Deputy Director of Education, Madam Irene B. Asare of the Tano South District Education office in another presentation, lamented on how teenage pregnancies is gaining root in our communities and cited an example of how a pupil who was pregnant during a basic school certificate examination had to leave the examination hall to go and sleep for a period before coming back to continue.

Madam Asare said training of the child cannot be the sole responsibility of the teacher as well as the waywardness of the child cannot be blamed on the teacher since the children spend most of their time in the house and it is the parents who are to counsel their children on the implications of some vices such as teenage pregnancy.

                                    

Madam Asare addressing participants at the forum

Madam Asare said some of the children copy from friends and it is the parents who should watch who their child’s friend is and said factors like broken homes, multiple marriage and unplanned family are some of the factors which brings about bad behaviors such as teenage pregnancy among our children and cautioned that there is the need to wait for the time of marriage to reach and also be mindful of our children.

Madam Asare said Future Group has trained people to go round our schools to educate our people on Adolescent Reproductive Health and this she said would go a long way to inculcate into the minds of our adolescents the sense of reproductive health.

The District Coordinating Director of the Tano South District Assembly, Mr. Hayford Kyereh who chaired the forum commended Future Group (UK) and its partners for bringing such a project to the Brong Ahafo Region which is of a 3 year period.

                                 

The District Coordinating Director of the Tano South District Assembly, Mr. Hayford Kyereh addressing the forum

He said the project which is aimed at educating and training girls on teenage pregnancy would go a long way to help reduce if not to eradicate this menace and lamented on how 25 teenage pregnancies was recorded in the District during the 2014 B.E.C.E. examination in the Tano South District and called on parents and all Stakeholders to help reduce teenage pregnancies in the District.

TANO SOUTH DISTRICT ASSEMBLY HOLDS SECOND ORDINARY MEETING

The Second Ordinary Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Tano South District Assembly has been held at Bechem the District Capital.

 

A section of the Assembly Members at the meeting

    The meeting which deliberated on issues ranging from Health, Education, Revenue Mobilization Presentation of Executive Committee report saw Nana Ampong Kromantang the Krontihene of Techimantia in attendance.

            In a welcome address, the Presiding Member of the Assembly Hon. Anthony Opoku welcomed members to the General Assembly Meeting which he said is an important component of the decentralization process that ensure effective and efficient administration of the District and expressed his profound appreciation to members for responding to the invitation.

Hon. Opoku said over a period several complaints which include land disputes, accommodation, water and sanitation just to mention few have been brought to the attention of the Public relations and complaints committee which is a very important committee of the Assembly and he was happy to announce to Hon. Members that most of these cases have been settled amicably but hinted that reports from Honorable Members from Derma and Ankaase Area Councils reaching the committee indicates that the number of armed robbery cases on the Derma-Asuoso road is on the ascendancy and appealed to the District Security Committee to take the necessary action to curtail the menace.

                               

                          

The Hon. Presiding Member reading his address

Hon. Opoku appreciated the management of the Assembly for heedling to the house’s approval in the procurement of motor bike for the registry in the discharge of their duties and again hinted that the District Chief Executive’s working visits to the various communities which he was part of the entourage afforded the group to interact with the people and know their problems.

Hon. Opoku told members that it was realized during the tour to the Communities that some Hon. Members do not visit some of the Communities within their electoral area and pleaded that they are here to represent their people and it would be unfortunate to hear that for most Assembly Members, it takes time before their electorates see them and appealed to Hon. Members to sit up to their responsibilities and called on all members to feel free to contribute to the deliberations of the house.

The Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba in his Sessional address to the House welcomed all to the meeting and said he believed the meeting will offer an opportunity to interact with each other and share ideas on how to move the District on a higher pedestal.

Hon. Anaba said members would agree with him that the effectiveness of the Executive Committee and for that matter the General Assembly rest on how proactive the Sub-Committees are and appealed to Hon. Members to take the work of the Sub-Committees Seriously.

                             

The Hon. DCE delivering his sessional address

On Revenue Mobilization, Hon. Anaba said, we all know money is the live wire of every District Assembly and the ability of any District Assembly to embark on any meaningful development projects no doubt depends on the availability of revenue and in this regard it behoves on us to strategize and use every available and acceptable means to mobilize enough revenue especially Internally Generated Fund (IGF) for the development of the district and said management has carried out some interventions to ensure the improvement of our Internally Generated Fund (IGF).

Hon. Anaba said a total amount of GH¢46,262.49 had been achieved out of the quarterly budget of GH¢57,827.25 representing 80% of revenue collected which though significant but said with the measures put in place, there will be improvement. He said targets for some revenue items have also been exceeded and hinted that for the fifth (5^th) year running the Assembly has qualified again for the District Development Facility with 83% for the year 2013 assessment.

Hon. Anaba mentioned that a number of water projects have been carried out in parts of the district which includes the on-going Small Town Water Project at Brosankro and the MP’s boreholes construction project of which 10 No. boreholes have been drilled. He said the District has also benefited from a 10 No. borehole project from the Friends of the Earth Water Project.

Hon. Anaba informed the House that the district has been relatively calm and peaceful and commended the Security Agencies and all for working to sustain peace in the district and to improve access and security of communities in the District, the Assembly has embarked on emergency road works in the district with the reshaping of 13 Km roads which is ongoing including the Derma-Asuoso sections and when these reshaping is completed it will facilitate movement and also help reduce the incidence of armed robbery that the people travelling on some of these roads have been experiencing lately.

Touching on Health and Education, Hon. Anaba said inorder to foresfall any outbreak of an Epidemic, either Ebola or Cholera, the District Epidemic Management Committee has been reactivated and duly inaugurated, He said the District Assembly remains committed to the development of the health sector and has over the years supported the sector in diverse ways and mentioned that in order to achieve the Better Ghana Agenda, the Assembly has agreed to construct two (2) CHIPs Compounds at Breme and Asuboe as directed by the NDC Government to all Assemblies.

Hon. Anaba said Education is widely considered to be critical for development, and as a result successive Governments have made frantic efforts to make education accessible and affordable but however the standard of education in the district still leaves much to be desired and hinted that in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) conducted, there were twenty-five (25) recorded cases of teenage pregnancy in the district and called on Assembly Members as stakeholders to assist in minimizing this unfortunate development to the barest minimum.

Hon. Anaba informed the house that the first phase of street naming and property addressing system has been completed where fifty ( 50) streets have been addressed and the next phase will start immediately and was pleased to announce that Tano South has taken the lead in this Presidential initiative and invited other Assemblies to patronize the Tano South District Rural Technology Facility ( RTF ) signaling of the  street naming.

On the 2014 Regional Farmers Day celebration scheduled for the first Friday of the month of December in every year, Hon. Anaba said, it has been confirmed that it would be hosted by the Tano South District and that it would be held at Derma and called on all and sundry to give off their best to make the celebration in the district a great success.

In conclusion Hon. Anaba again expressed his profound gratitude to Honorable Members, Heads of Department, and other stakeholders for their continued support and co-operation in the discharge of his duties and retariated that we are the voice for the thousands of people we represent and serve and therefore it would be proper that, business of the House is conducted in the best interest of the people.

Nana Ampong Kromantang the Krontihene of Techimantia in his remarks lamented on the spate of gambling by our youth especially the school children in the District and called on the security agencies especially the police to check the spread of a game called the jack pot which is scattered all over the district and mostly patronized by our school children and  pleaded with the Assembly to come out with a bye-law which would restrict the movement of school children in the night.

Nana called on the Assembly to expand the water system at Techimantia and also provide enough street lights and repair the faulty ones in the town.       

 

                                     Nana Kromantang delivering his remakes with some dignitaries at the meeting