By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), April 28, GNA — The Ho Municipal Assembly has reaffirmed its commitment to improving education, healthcare, sanitation, roads and local economic development, outlining a wide range of ongoing and planned interventions to enhance livelihoods across the municipality.
At its first General Assembly Meeting of the year held in Ho on Monday, April 27, Mr Stephen Adom, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the Assembly had prioritised key sectors including education, health, roads, water, agriculture and sanitation to accelerate development.
Delivering his sectional address, he emphasised that education remained a top priority, noting that quality education was central to sustainable development. He said concerns over recent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) performance had led to intensified investments in school infrastructure.
He listed ongoing and completed projects, including a modern Ho Municipal Education Directorate office complex; a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Nyive; a three-unit classroom block at Hodzo-Alavanyo; a two-storey six-unit classroom block at Kpenoe; and another six-unit classroom block at Matse.
He added that the Assembly had completed and commissioned a two-unit kindergarten classroom block at Avee and provided dining hall furniture for Tanyigbe Senior High School.
On teacher accommodation, Mr Adom said abandoned projects at Tanyigbe Senior High School had been revived, including staff accommodation, an administrative block, a library and a computer laboratory.
In the health sector, he said the Assembly was expanding access to healthcare through projects such as CHPS compounds at Ziavi-Bamefedo and Takla-Atiyinu, as well as two-unit nurses’ quarters at Matse and Tokokoe.
“These projects are intended to bring healthcare closer to the people and provide decent accommodation for health workers to improve service delivery,” he said.
On roads, Mr Adom said work was progressing on the Ho-Kpenoe-Takla-Hodzo-Tokokoe road corridor, alongside other projects including the Sokode-Anyirawase dual carriageway, Tanyigbe and Akoefe township roads, municipality-wide pothole patching, the Guinness Junction to Airport Gate Two road, and reshaping works within the Barracks enclave.
He noted that these projects would improve travel time, facilitate trade and support local economic growth.
The MCE said the Assembly was also addressing housing challenges, particularly for public sector workers and low-income residents. He disclosed efforts to revive a stalled 10-unit semi-detached housing project near the Ho Polyclinic, funded through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
He added that the Tema Development Company (TDC), in partnership with the Assembly, had begun preparatory works on an affordable housing initiative under the “Oxygen City Housing Project,” which would provide housing units and serviced plots.
On agriculture, Mr Adom said the Assembly was aligning with national programmes, noting that over 60 per cent of the municipality’s workforce depends on agriculture. He said plans were underway to cultivate cassava on Assembly lands at Daglama and participate in initiatives such as the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, irrigation expansion, the Feed Ghana Programme and the establishment of Farmers’ Service Centres.
He disclosed that the municipality had allocated 10,000 birds under the government’s “Nkuko Nkitinkiti” poultry initiative, with brooding underway and distribution expected within three weeks.
On digital inclusion, Mr Adom said the Assembly had partnered with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications to improve connectivity in underserved communities. RTP equipment had been installed in Akoefe, Tokokoe, Hodzo, Avee and Lume to enhance mobile network access.
He further announced that the Assembly had secured legal authority to register marriages and conduct civil ceremonies, with trained and licensed officers already in place. He encouraged residents to use the service to reduce the cost and inconvenience of civil marriages elsewhere.
Mr Adom stressed that peace and security remained critical to development and commended traditional authorities, security agencies, youth groups and Assembly staff for maintaining stability in the municipality.
Mr Richmond Kpotosu, Member of Parliament for Ho Central, urged Assembly Members to proactively leverage government interventions, especially in agriculture, education and infrastructure. He disclosed that Ho Municipality had been included in the Farmers’ Service Centre initiative and would soon receive fertiliser for distribution to organised farmer groups.
Mr Mawunyo Agbe, Presiding Member of the Assembly, called for unity, respectful debate and collective commitment to the municipality’s development. He also announced plans for the first-ever conference of Assembly Members, with details to be communicated at a later sitting.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/audrey Dekalu