"Gold Deposits Discovered In Nkoranza"

Gold deposits have been discovered in four communities in Nkoranza South District, Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, District Chief Executive, announced at the first ordinary meeting of the Assembly at Nkoranza. He mentioned Donkro-Nkwanta, Anama, Apeasua and Aniantenten, all farming settlements as the beneficiary communities. Mr Agyekum expressed concern about the negative attitude of some residents in the beneficiary areas towards prospecting for the mineral and called on Assembly Members to further educate such people about the immense benefits to the communities involved. He emphasized that the entire district would record accelerated development from the prospecting of the gold, as a lot of investors would arrive to do business in the district. The DCE called on the beneficiary communities to co-operate with investors to enable prospecting to take off as soon as practicable. Mr Agyekum said the Assembly had undertaken a lot of development projects in the communities, with some completed and others, on-going. The projects include school blocks, health facilities, water and sanitation, supply of energy, rehabilitation of feeder roads as well as accommodation for some Departments of the Assembly. Mr Agyekum said the main source of funding of the projects was the Assembly�s Common Fund, but added that, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP), Water and Sanitation Agency, District Development Fund and HIV/AIDS fund were also supporting some of the projects. The Australian High Commission, German Embassy, International Development Agency (IDA), Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the Social Investment Fund (SIF) have also been funding some of the Assembly�s projects, he noted. The DCE said plans were afoot for the District Assembly to purchase a motor grader to rehabilitate feeder roads in the communities and appealed to the Assembly Members to work to move the district forward. The Assembly, the DCE added, is to construct a hospital at Nkoranza, to ease the pressure on Saint Theresa�s Catholic hospital, the only referral centre for more than 15 health facilities in both Nkoranza South and North districts. He expressed gratitude to Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV, Omanhene of Nkoranza, and the Nkoranza Traditional Council for releasing a large tract of land for the hospital project. The DCE commended the newly-elected Members of the Assembly, as well as those re-elected, and wished them well in all their activities. Mr Paul Opoku-Nsowah, Presiding Member of the Assembly, advised Members of the Assembly to avoid partisan politics during Assembly discussions and should rather see themselves as representatives of the communities and help initiate programmes that would propel the people to improve their livelihood.