NGO bemoans performance of Ablekuma Central Assembly on medium term plans

A Community-Led Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has said it is not convinced by the performance of the Ablekuma Central Municipality in realising its medium term plans.

Our Community Focus (OCOF), which hitherto was known as the Ablekuma Central Community Action for Development, disclosed this during a consultative stakeholders meeting in the Municipality.

Organised under the theme: Brainstorming on our community; my participation counts, the exercise sought to encourage community participation in local development, by ensuring government’s decentralised programmes are brought to the doorsteps of the residents for active participation of citizens and hold decision makers at the local level accountable.

Speaking on the sidelines of the forum with Ghanasonline.com, Executive Director of OCOF, Ebenezer Annang, indicated the medium term development plan which the Assembly begun from 2018 to 2021 has not been fulfilled, yet the assembly is drafting a new plan.

“…the existing medium term plan we have is about to expire, but while it hasn’t expired, they’re beginning processes for 2022 to 2025 and we say that, the existing one we have a lot of issues. If you look at our communities, in terms of inner roads, jobs, sanitation, livelihood, we haven’t seen any much of improvement,” he told Ghanasonline.com.

He further noted that, even though the municipality is only two years, the administration took over from a sub-metro and expected them to continue the work they took over, hence, the need to account to the people of Ablekuma Central.

Mr. Annang added the people are not convinced with what the assembly claims it has achieved so far in terms of the thematic areas they prioritised to be accounted for.

“We were of concern of what can happen so we gave certain thematic areas, the place it is, the period, execution level and we expected that the MC would put that to him. I’m not too convinced but normally this is how assemblies will talk. If you say you have done this project, where is it or what is it and then we know. But we didn’t get there,” he lamented.

“You go to the community and realise that, barely nothing much has been done,” he emphasised.

Their motive, he further noted, is to probe the state of events so far, to ensure all tasks would be executed to enable an informed medium term plan between 2022 to 2025.

Invitation to the event according to the Executive Director was limited to the Committee Members, current and former Assembly members, opinion leaders and the Member of Parliament. He said they didn’t open to the entire community due to the observance of the Covid-19 protocols.

Meanwhile, an Assistant Director of Ablekuma Central Municipality, Andrew Mensah Tulasi noted the core duty of the assembly is to bring development to the doorstep of the people and have done their best within the two years of inducting the municipality.

He noted that despite the challenges the assembly has encountered, it has done its best to ensure they bring development to the residents.

Lauding OCOF for their initiative for bringing stakeholders together to probe executed targets by the Assembly and hatching new ones, he underscored their [Ablekuma Municipal Assembly] periodic Town Hall meetings which they undertake for similar goals.

He stated logistical and human challenges as some of the hurdles they face as a new municipality since transformation from a sub-metro to municipality is more demanding.

“As at now, the assembly lacks a Roads Engineer and plans are advanced to get one to foster processes for the inner road construction in the municipality,” he noted.

A representative from the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Paul Osei Kuffuor, intimated to the gathering, the power they possess despite electing representatives in their stead at the assembly through elections.

He also noted such engagements provide an avenue for feedback to be given to the authorities on projects executed by the assembly, thereby strengthening the bond between the two entities.

The feedback he indicated, helps to improve the services rendered to the people in subsequent developmental projects.

Chairing the occassion was Queen of Shukura and Sempe New Town, Naa Ablade.