By: Solomon M-Ahiable | ignewss.com |Ho
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Biakoye district of the Oti region, Madam Millicent Kabuki Carboo has accounted to the people since she assumed office as the DCE.
Addressing the Chiefs and people of the district in Worawora, Madam Millicent said, her office has chalked a lot of remarkable successes in all sectors through the hard work and support from the traditional leaders and other authorities.
She indicated that, even though there are challenges, it was important for the people of the district to be united and embrace each other in all aspects of life to foster development and progress.
She also appealed to the people of the district to continue to support stakeholders to achieve a lot together and promote peace and harmony.
The one-year accountability in office was under the theme: “Accounting to hallmark of good governance”, the DCE said, the forum was in line with Article 42 of the Local Governance Act, (Act 936 of 2016) as amended by Act 940.
Madam Millicent Carboo noted that,“The District Assembly shall facilitate the establishment of a structure for stakeholder participation that may include town hall meetings and other avenues for participation of the people.”
She said the Kwamekrom slaughterhouse was renovated, and the meat shop fitted with a deep freezer to ensure residents consume healthy animal products and boost the local patronage of hygienic meat products from within butchers in the district to promote the local economy.
Madam Carboo said the Assembly has collaboratively joined the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) to create a Business Advisory Centre which was fully operationalised to boost trade and commerce, especially among residents and indigenes and to also provide skills training and information within the local economy.
She said, there was also the renovation and construction of an additional shed at the Abotoase market to provide traders with a more conducive environment for their activities to improve revenue mobilisation for the development of the district.
Madam Carboo said the Assembly acquired a 10-acre land at Bumbula to be developed into a state-of-the-art events and recreational centre for events such as weddings and conferences.
Agriculture
She said under Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), 603 bags (25kg) of inorganic fertilizer, 600 bags organic fertilizer and 445kg of hybrid seed maize were sold to farmers at a subsidized prices in 2022 while 987 farmers, belonging to 15 Farmer-Based Organisations were trained on food hygiene, improving nutrition at household levels and creation of fire belts to reduce bush fire.
Madam Carboo added that, 4,600 seedlings were distributed to 41 farmers and were cultivated on 92 acres of farmland, adding that to ensure that farmers maximized their returns, 15,000 coconut seedlings were distributed serving as source of employment for the youth under the Planting for Export and Rural Development.
Education
About education, the Assembly has distributed furniture to basic schools, encouraged and increased girl child participation in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) education, especially among girls at the basic levels, through a training session in Cyber security supported by GIFEC and Assembly.
Madam Carboo said the Assembly supported and facilitated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) innovation projects aimed at introducing technology, especially in robotics, to children at the Basic and Senior High levels.
On health, madam Carboo disclosed that, there were health screening, behavioural change communication, counselling and testing, breast cancer screening, health walk and donation of streetlight bulbs to the Worawora Hospital to improve visibility at night to ensure a total security.
Biakoye district continues to enjoy peace
Madam Carboo said with the help of the District Security Council, the district continued to enjoy peace and urged the traditional leaders to amicably solve chieftaincy disputes in some communities. Adding that, the district is blessed with lots of cultural diversity with several tourist attractions, including Konklobi Island at Adzamansu, water cascades and caves at Bowiri Aboabo and Beach front at Odormitor, which needs to be developed to attract investors and tourists into the district.
We made steps to boost tourism
Madam Carboo said an initiative to boost tourism was the organisation of Biakoye District Assembly Festival (BIDAFEST).
Many challenges are affecting development
The DCE lamented about some major challenges that is affecting development of the district among which were poor transport network, low capacity to generate revenue internally, chieftaincy issues and delay in release of statutory funds such as District Assembly Common Fund.
Madam Carboo noted that availability of lake water for irrigation farming and aquaculture and over sixteen potential tourist attraction sites were opportunities, adding that there was a need for creation of District Council of Chiefs to give the district higher power to influence policy formulation.
The district offers an opportunity for the establishment of agro-industries
Mr Eric Yankson, Oti Regional Internal Auditor, on behalf of the Regional Minister, said the district offered an opportunity for the establishment of agro-industries and key agricultural activities, including crop farming and livestock rearing, fish farming and agro-forestry.
He said there is the need to empower the citizens for effective local governance and service delivery to ensure a critical overall sustainability of decentralization in Ghana as well as to ensure that as more powers and resource were being decentralized, managers of resources at the local level were held accountable for the use of the resource.
Traditional authorities pledge support
The chief of Apesokubi traditional area, Okogyeaman Asiedu Koram II, Omanhene, commended the DCE for her zeal towards development and to sell out the district to the other world.
He therefore pledged the support of the traditional authorities.
SOURCE: www.ignewss.com