The Gomoa West Assembly has in the first quarter of this year invested resources to help address challenges in the education sector in the district.
Mr Bismark Baisie Nkum, Gomoa West District Chief Executive (DCE), stated this in his sessional address at the Assembly’s meeting at Apam, the district capital.
He mentioned supplying more than a 1000 dual desks, 200 hexagonal desks and 250 metallic dual desks to schools in the district as some of the interventions the assembly made within the first quarter.
The DCE informed the house that 72-acre land had been released by the Chiefs and people of Gomoa Tarkwa in partnership with the district assembly to the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), for the establishment a campus in the area.
He said the proposed site was inspected by management of the university after fruitful engagement and that documentations would soon be finalised for the university to commence work.
According to him, school uniforms were supplied to pupils in some basic schools in communities including Ohua, Sampa, Assin, Brofoyedur, Dago, Bewadze, Onyadze, Akyempim-Hasowaodze, Eshiem, Mankessim and Gyankrom during the period.
He further announced that to bridge the high teacher attrition rate in the district, 42 National Service Personnel have been posted to basic schools and 50 graduate teachers deployed to Senior High Schools.
He urged the house to approve the re-introduction of extra-classes in schools for final year students to prepare them towards Basic Education Certificate Examination to help improve upon academic performance in the district.
On Infrastructure and logistics, Mr. Nkum said as part of interventions to curb educational challenges, the assembly was constructing a.6-Unit teachers’ quarters at Gomoamaim and 3-Unit Classroom Block at Appiakrom Debiso.
On Security, he indicated that aside complaints of robbery on Ankamu-Dawurampong starch road, chieftaincy issues in Mumford and Apam and Kyirenkwanta/fawomanye land litigation the district continued to enjoy peace and tranquillity.
“Crime rate in the district is very low, the police had intensified snap checks and highway robbery has subsided within the period under review “, he stated.
According to Mr Nkum, false and prank calls had, however increased in the district which was not the best and with called on assembly members to educate their constituents to stop the practice because it was counter productive.
The DCE informed the house that a total of 1,950 farmers made up of 450 youth, I, 498 and two physically challenged Persons were sensitized on the Planting for Food and Jobs programme to help them adopt the use of certified seeds, increase access to improved inputs and quality extension services to improve income and to reduce poverty.
He announced that, during the period under review, 1,253Kg of maize was shelled, 30 acres of land ploughed, and seven acres harrowed for the first quarter of 2023.
“During the quarter, Social Welfare Department in partnership with the National Health Insurance Authority registered 950 indigenes free of charge onto the National health Insurance Scheme”, he stated.
On Health, Mr. Nkum stated that a total of 1,146 Long-lasting Insecticide Treated Nets were distributed to mothers.
He said to reduce maternal deaths and other complications such as high blood pressure and bleeding after delivery in the district, a two-day training was conducted for 40 midwives on safe motherhood and Lifesaving Skills.
The district recorded one maternal death and 39 infants’ mortality in 2022.
“As at the first quarter of last year 2022, we collected an amount of GHc172, 278.57 of our budgeted Internally Generated Fund of GHc850.000.
“The Assembly collected GHc197, 783.43 of the budgeted amounts of GHc930, 000.00 representing 21.27 percent for the same period in 2023, showing a marginal improvement over that of the previous year”, he stated.
He therefore called on the assembly members to continue to intensify their education for their community members to honour their tax obligation to supplement the Common Fund and other grants for development.
