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After a careful and thorough assessment of over 150 Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies in about 8 regions nationwide, the Deputy Minister for local government in-charge of rural economy and Agric, Collins Ntim has assessed the performance of over 15 districts in the northern part of the Western region.

The Deputy Minister began assessing the performance of districts early this year in February and has so far visited about 165 districts.

This forms part of the Ministry of Local government and rural development's resolve to ensure a high level of efficiency, fiscal discipline, prudence and rural economic boost at the district level.

Hon Collins Ntim, who doubles as the MP for Offinso North, began his tour of the Western region from the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai District, Sefwi Wiaso, Bia East and West, Juaboso, Akontonbra, Suaman, Aowin, Amenfi East, West and Central, Prestea Huni Valley and finally to the Tarkwa Nsuaem districts, where he met the Municipal/District Chief Executives, all the heads of the decentralized department, and all key staffs of the assembly, to assess them on how successful they have implemented government policies and programmes.

He assessed them in the area of rural economic development, generation and utilization of internal funds, adherence to statutory meetings (District planning and coordinating unit meetings, Audit Committee meetings), coordination of statutory units, community engagement of Chief Executive, planting for food and jobs, planting for export and rural development.

Reports from the various heads of departments were presented in the area of Agric, Health, Education, general administration and security.

After a careful and thorough assessment of over 150 Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies in about 8 regions nationwide, the Deputy Minister for local government in-charge of rural economy and Agric, Collins Ntim has assessed the performance of over 15 districts in the northern part of the Western region.

PLANTING FOR EXPORT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The planting for export and rural development is a decentralized national tree crop programme which is been rolled out in all Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies.

Under the programme, MMDA's are expected to raise and distribute to farmers, for free, a minimun of 100,000 seedlings of various cash crops, ranging from Cocoa, Cashew, oil palm, Citrus, Shea, Coffee, Cotton and Rubber, depending on the ecology of the district.

The programme is aimed at boosting and propping up the rural economy, making our rural farmers develop economically.

The total number of seedlings raised and distributed in the northern part of the western region, as observed by the Collins Ntim are as follows;


DISTRICT                   SEEDLINGS RAISED                    No OF SEEDLINGS.                  No OF FARMERS.

Akontombra                    COCOA                                    1,169,000.                                   2,155

Amenfi East                    COCOA                                     1,210,455.                                   1105 

Bia West                         COCOA                                   1,000,000.                                    20,000  

Babiane                           COCOA                                   970,385.                                      2,114

Bia East                              COCOA                                   600,000                                         855.

Prestia Huni Valey                  COCOA                              663,000.                                         890

Asankragua                            COCOA                          672,238                                           1,152

Aowin                                    COCOA                            543,000                                          1,208

Amenfi Central                           COCOA                           56,177                                          152

Akontonbra                              COCONUT                        10,000                                            50

Shaman                                  COCOA                               20,000                                         227 

Juaboso                                 OIL PALM                               420                                             15

Tarkwa Nsueam                       COCOA/COCONUT                1000/37,000.

In spite of all these achievements by the districts, the Chief Executives have promised to raise additional 80,000 seedlings of oil palm, and coconut by November this year, to support more farmers to prop up rural economic development in their various districts.

CALL ON TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES

Collins Ntim paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Amenfi traditional area, Nana Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II, who praised the government for rolling out the free SHS policy and now the double tracking system to ease congestion.

He again lauded the Deputy Minister for his role in rural development from the year 2005, when he supplied millions of free seedlings of cocoa, citrus and oil palm to farmers within the Offinso Municipality as DCE, and again the establishment of Two(2) secondary schools in Offinso North in 2015.

He urged all MP's and MMDCE's to emulate the traits of Collins Ntim.

Collins Ntim in response, thanked the Chief for his kind words and further urged him to partner the district assembly.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH

In the area of education and health, the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai district topped with a 98.8% in the last BECE exams and with (0) zero maternal, neonatal and still births in the last three.


IGF GENERATION

Collins Ntim observed in the districts that, internally generated funds (IGF) has generally appreciated by 10-15% in the second quarter of this year.

This was due to strict adherence to guidelines and instructions given to all MMDCE's by the ministry of local government to up their IGF, hold all statutory meetings, make effective all sub districts of the assembly, which all cumulates to form part of the DPACT assessment.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion the Deputy local government Minister admonished the MMDCE's and heads of department to be diligent to their duty by adhering to their code of ethics.

He said ”there is only one place called Ghana and it takes all of our collective effort to make it what we want it to be, let’s commit a bit of our time and energy to ensure that the vision and policies of his excellency the President materializes in the districts.

“The President is focused on developing every facet of the Ghanaian economy, the Minister of Local Government, Hajiah Alima Mahama has pledged to ensure that Local governance thrives to the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian and I Collins Ntim have pledged in my heart to help my Minister and the President succeed in the area of rural development and agriculture.”