Members of the Guan District Assembly have resolved not to be part of the Buem Constituency as suggested by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, MrGodfredOdame, and insisted that the district is an autonomous establishment.
They, therefore, demanded that a constituency be created for the district to enable the people in the area to fully participate in decision processes and political activities.
The 19 assembly members made it clear that any suggestion or attempt to make the people in the Guan District to participate in political activities in the Buem Constituency would be regarded as a complete infringement on the fundamental rights of the people.
This was contained in a resolution passed by the assembly here on Friday.
The assembly members said the people of the Guan District would have nothing to do with the people of the Buem Constituency and vowed not to participate in any political activities in future, if a constituency was not created for them.
The resolution, read by the Presiding Member of the Guan District Assembly, Mr Kenneth Norviewo, stressed that the people in the area regarded attempts by government to compel the residents in the Guan District to participate in political activities in the Buem Constituency as a deliberate attempt to deny them a constituency.
Another concern raised by the assembly members was the urgent need for President Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint a new district chief executive for the district after the death of the first one, Mr Marlon Praise Anipah.
He passed away after conducting official duty for just one day.
The Members explained that the absence of a district chief executive to give direction continued to affect development of the new district, stressing that the current development where the Acting District Chief Executive being the Regional Minister operate from the regional capital Dambai, was not helpful because the District Coordinating Director (DCD) had to travel to him for necessary discussions and consultations.
They noted that the frequent travels by the DCD to Dambai, using the little resources of the assembly should not continue for a longer period “because it would drain the assembly’s coffers”.
The resolution said the Guan District needed a strategic development plan, that would capture construction of roads as well as rehabilitation of old ones to open up the district, provision of potable water in communities, promotion of agriculture and other economic activities, which could become possible with the presence of a DCE.
It observed that tourism potentials abound in the area such as caves which could be developed to generate revenue for development.
He said Guan District was noted for cocoa production but anytime cocoa was produced it had to be transported and sold atHohoe, where the Cocoa Board Office is located in the Volta Region.
This, the assembly members said was not right and stressed that the OtiRegion needed a new Cocoa Board Office for farmers in the area to derive maximum benefit from the toil.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, LIKPE-MANTE
