The Ayawaso Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, on Tuesday implored residents for the payment of market tolls since it goes a long way to supplement additional funds from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) used for all kinds of development in the municipality.
“This little money you pay to the assembly, like little drops of water is what accumulates into a bigger chunk which is channelled into development projects,” he said.
Alhaji Quaye made these remarks when he engaged market women and traders at Mallam Atta Market in Accra to acquaint himself with development challenges of the area and seek consensus on finding lasting solution particularly at the Mallam Atta market.
It was attended by all heads of department including security personnel and task force of the assembly.
In a keynote address, the MCE said as much as it was important to acquire first -hand information on the concerns and anxieties of the people in the market, it was equally necessary to inform them of the effort of the assembly in the relatively short period of its existence.
He indicated that the assembly has taken this initiative to meet such groupings in order that people were not unduly kept in the dark about the successes being chalked by the assembly.
The Ayawaso Central MCE assured the participants that though things were difficult now as being experienced around the world, government was doubling its efforts to mitigate the challenges staring us in the face for the wellbeing of the people.
He said ongoing projects such as the assembly’s office complex, court complex, teachers’ bungalow at Kotobabi and drains in the municipality would be completed.
However, he said, large storm drains in other parts of the municipality had been completed.
Alhaji Quaye said the doors of the assembly were opened to receive all developmental suggestions and concerns from the inhabitants, reminding them that the assembly existed for their sake.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Ms Eugenia Akporhor-Agbenyegah, explained the rationale for the decentralisation process that has resulted in a fair share of the national cake and the speeding up of development.
She said, however, if development was to take place, all citizens would have to play their part in diverse ways as prescribed by democratic principles including payment of taxes.
During an open forum, the Market Queen of the area, Asafoannye Ogbedei II, called on the assembly to beef up security in the market to end the incident of burglaries in the area.
BY NORMAN COOPER
