Tema West’s municipal chief executive, Anna Adukwei Addo, revealed that her community is gaining from the government’s Year of Roads initiative.
She added that although the municipality was experiencing a considerable improvement in its road system, there was still much that needed to be done to provide relief for the locals.
The projects executed so far include the asphalt overlay of 3.5 km of road at Community three Sites A and B, the asphalt overlay of 5 km of roads at the former Adom FM area in Community two, the asphalt overlay of 5.3 km of road at Community five SSNIT flats area, asphalt overlay of 5.5 km road at HFC Estates in Community 18 and the asphalt overlay of 10.25 km road around Awudu Issaka park area in Community 20.
Speaking at the first ordinary general meeting of the fourth session of the second assembly, Ms Addo said the projects were part of the numerous asphalt works being undertaken within the Greater Accra Region of which the municipal assembly had so far benefited from about 50.0 km of the entire packaged allocation.
She said aside the projects, other road rehabilitation and upgrading projects in the municipality were at 40 per cent stages of completion within the municipality. These include the rehabilitation of the Emef to Sakumono link road, the rehabilitation of roads around the Pleasant Place Church area to Kotobabi, upgrading of roads around Adonai and Kenebi Hotel area.
“Road construction and maintenance is one critical area that requires immense contribution and investment. The Assembly is in touch with the Department of Urban Roads to increase budgetary allocation in respect of road infrastructure for 2023,” she said.
Health
Touching on health, the MCE said that as part of the government’s Agenda 111 initiative in building hospitals within districts and regional capitals, the Tema West Assembly had earmarked part of the TEXPO market lands for the construction of the proposed edifice.
“The Assembly in its efforts to ensure the project is realised would be demolishing the unauthorised structures within the 8.6-acre land of the Assembly at the TEXPO market.” She said that the assembly and its security council, in collaboration with stakeholders within the Tema West Municipal area had engaged the residents on the encroached land to vacate it to enable the assembly to benefit from the initiative.
Ms Addo said the assembly had also instituted regular visits to eateries in the municipality to engage food vendors on issues of food safety.
The visit, she said, formed part of continuing efforts by the assembly to intensify monitoring of the activities of food vendors in the municipality and enforce food safety and hygiene bye-laws of the assembly. She said those who failed to comply would be summoned, charged and prosecuted.
The MCE for Tema West said the Assembly in its efforts to improve infrastructural development had earmarked a number of projects such as the reconstruction of the dilapidated Tema Community two European market, completion of a three-unit classroom block at Star Primary School, Tema Community Five, completion of fence wall at Tema Polyclinic to address issues of encroachment and insecurity at the clinic, construction of speed humps on selected roads to improve road safety, construction of zonal office for staff of Adjei-Kojo Zonal Council and building of a health centre at Adjei-Kojo all aimed at addressing the development deficit in the municipality.
Finance
Ms Addo indicated that the assembly’s total revenue generated in the first quarter of 2023 stood at GH¢3,059,099.20, an increase of 15 per cent over the same period in 2022.
These increments, the MCE explained, related to the early printing and distribution of bills, monitoring and supervision of revenue activities with the municipality and strict internal controls.
The MCE reiterated the need for cooperation and unity among the various stakeholders in the planning and implementation of plans and programmes of the assembly that would be of benefit to all residents in the municipality.