The Central Regional Minister, Hon. Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, has commended the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ekumfi, Hon. Ismaeel Nana Asamoah, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ekumfi Constituency, Hon. Dr Othniel Ekow Kwainoe, for their strong collaboration and commitment to the development of the district.
The Minister made the remarks after the “Accounting to the People” forum in the Ekumfi District, where he inspected and expressed satisfaction with a number of completed and ongoing development projects, including newly constructed and renovated classroom blocks.
According to him, the visible transformation in some communities demonstrates that the government’s commitment to accountability and development is yielding tangible results.
“What I have seen in Ekumfi is a sign that accounting to the people is yielding results,” the Regional Minister stated.
He subsequently challenged other Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) across the Central Region to intensify their efforts, stressing that the Regional Coordinating team would continue to visit districts to assess development projects.
“I want to encourage all MMDCEs to also work hard because we are coming,” he warned.
Minister raises concern over school land documentation
The Central Regional Minister also raised concerns about land documentation for public schools in the Ekumfi District.
He urged heads of schools and relevant authorities to take immediate steps to regularise and properly document lands belonging to educational institutions to prevent future disputes and encroachment.
“We should ensure that all the schools in Ekumfi regularise their land documentation. It appears that we are struggling with lands,” he said.
He noted that some lands allocated for public projects decades ago are now becoming subjects of disputes, with some individuals returning to make claims to properties they previously released for development.
“The very people who gave us land about 50 years ago are the same people who are coming back for their lands,” he observed.
The Minister therefore urged all headteachers to ensure that the lands on which their schools are situated are properly documented and protected.
He further assured school authorities that his office would assist in resolving any challenges they encounter in the process.
“I want to urge all headteachers to ensure that the lands are documented. When they have any difficulties, they should come to my office so that their land will be protected,” he added.
Minister praises DCE-MP collaboration
Hon. Eduamoah also expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the Ekumfi DCE and the Member of Parliament, describing their collaboration as instrumental in advancing development across the district.
He said the partnership between Hon. Ismaeel Nana Asamoah and Hon. Dr Othniel Ekow Kwainoe demonstrated the importance of political and administrative cooperation in delivering development to constituents.
“Sometimes, we need this collaboration to bring development,” the Minister stressed.
He said the projects presented during the engagement also demonstrated that resources allocated to the Assembly were being put to good use.
“It has also been proven that the money that has been brought to the Assembly has been used very well. For me, I am very satisfied, and I want to tell them to go ahead and work together so that Ekumfi will become a better place for all of us,” he said.
Accounting to the People Forum
The “Accounting to the People” forum is designed to provide residents with an opportunity to assess the performance of the District Assembly and engage directly with local authorities on development issues.
The initiative seeks to:
- Present a comprehensive account of the district’s first-year performance across key sectors.
- Promote transparency, openness and accountability in local governance.
- Strengthen engagement between residents and the Assembly.
- Improve responsiveness to the concerns and needs of residents.
- Showcase completed and ongoing development projects across the district.
- Give citizens an opportunity to seek clarification on the use of public resources.
The Central Regional Minister’s visit forms part of efforts to monitor development across the region while encouraging MMDCEs to remain accountable to the people and ensure that public resources translate into meaningful development.
