By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Sakumono, July 04, GNA-The Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) held a town hall meeting to engage residents on key developmental issues affecting the municipality.
The meeting, which took place at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Hope Congregation at Sakumono brought together local government officials, traditional leaders, opinion leaders, and residents from various communities within the municipality.
The primary aim of the meeting was to promote transparency, accountability, and participatory governance by giving stakeholders an opportunity to share their concerns and contribute to decision-making processes.
Mr Ludwig Teye Totimeh, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), highlighted the assembly’s achievements over the past year, outlined future plans to address development challenges in the area adding that the 2024 annual action plan had a total of 110 budget activities out of which 95 of the projects and programmes were completed.
Mr Totimeh added that eight of the projects were ongoing while seven were yet to start, stating that the assembly over the years, used more than 60 per cent of its financial resources accrued from Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to improve its infrastructure delivery especially on roads, drains as well as sanitation services within the municipality.
He added that some projects delivered include construction of a u-drain along Tensil town roads, upgrading a gravel road at A-Lang in Community Two, surfacing road works at selected locations within Sakumono, Baastsona and Lashibi and other place.
He mentioned that he had allocated funds for the completion of a two-storey dormitory at Lashibi SHS, and the completion of a two-storey 12-unit classroom block at Lashibi Basic School Complex.
The MCE further said the assembly intends to construct mechanised boreholes at strategic locations to ease the burden of water scarcity in some communities while continuing to support the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in their service delivery and lobbying to ensure that more new roads were undertaken as well as completion of ongoing ones.
He assured that the assembly was committed to transparency, accountability, and equitable service delivery saying that the residents and stakeholders’ voices matters and their inputs would directly shape decisions made for the growth of communities and Tema West as a whole.
Mr Justice Tettey, Zonal Council Chairman and Assembly Member of Lashibi, emphasised that the concerns raised during the open forum would not be taken lightly and explained that all issues tabled by residents would be thoroughly discussed, and channeled through the appropriate administrative structures for resolution.
He assured the gathering that the zonal councils would actively engage in lobbying and advocacy to ensure that the concerns of residents receive the necessary attention and pleaded with the participants to support the assembly achieve its goals.
During an open forum segment, participants spoke on the challenges they faced in their various communities including poor drainage systems, uncompleted roads, limited access to public health services, infrastructure and a lot more.
They suggested that such town hall meetings should first be organised at the electoral area level, with the direct involvement of elected assembly members, explaining that it would localise the meetings offering community members a platform to raise specific concerns and receive feedback on the status of ongoing projects before they are presented at broader municipal gatherings.
A presentation was delivered on the assembly’s activities for 2024 and its plans for 2025.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Sawer/Kenneth Odeng Adade