By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, March 19, GNA – The government, as part of efforts to strengthen security and justice delivery in the Ashanti region, has provided a number of physical infrastructure to enhance the work of officers and personnel in that sector.
Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, who stated this, said more than 100 office and residential accommodation for the security agencies and the judicial service had been constructed in the region since 2017.
Speaking at a media encounter in Kumasi, he said 50 office buildings and residential accommodation had been built and commissioned for the Police, Immigration Service, Customs Service, NADMO, Prisons Service and the Ghana National Fire Service, in various parts of the region.
The judiciary had benefited from a total of 59 projects comprising 83 residential units, of which 48 had already been completed and commissioned.
The media encounter was to update heads of security agencies, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as well as the media, on development initiatives currently going on within the judicial and security sectors in the Ashanti region since 2017.
Mr. Osei-Mensah elaborating on security issues said the situation in the region had improved significantly and there was relative calm in the region.
According to him, there used to be inherited security challenges such as the Agogo cattle herds menace, relocation of the Atwima-Kwanwoma district capital from Foase to Twedie, protracted clashes between Muslim youth and Ashanti youth at Ahwia community, frequent highway robberies, illegal mining and logging as well as kidnapping, among others.
With proactive interventions, he said, most of these issues had be resolved.
He indicated that a total of 5,108 new security personnel have been recruited and posted to the Ashanti Region.
This number does not include the military.
Again, the government has provided 181 vehicles to security agencies in Ashanti.
More than 50 building projects including bungalows, offices and other complexes have been provided for the various security agencies in the region.
The Regional Minister reiterated the government’s resolve to continually resource the security and judicial services to effectively discharge their duties of protecting lives and properties in the region.
GNA