SESSIONAL ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE HON. BISMARK BAISIE NKUM, THE DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DCE) FOR GOMOA WEST DISTRICT ASSEMBLY AT THE 1ST ORDINARY MEETING OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 8TH ASSEMBLY HELD ON THURSDAY, 5TH MAY 2022 AT THE DISTRICT ASSEMBLY HALL.

Hon. Presiding Member

Hon. Member of Parliament

Hon. Assembly Members

District Co-ordinating Director

Nananom Present

Heads of Department and Unit Heads

The Press

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Section 28 (1) of the Local Governance Act, 2016, Act 936, states that, the District Chief Executive (DCE) may address District Assembly in session on policies determined by the President. In sub-section (2a) of the same Act, mandates the DCE to present a report on the performance of the functions of the Executive Committee, of the office of the District Chief Executive as well as of the state of the District to the District Assembly at the beginning of each session. It is in this vein that, I address the august house for our very first meeting of the year 2022.

Hon. Presiding Member, permit me to use this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all Hon. Members of the house and Heads of Departments and all Units for supporting the Assembly with formulation and implementation of key policies and programmes which has contributed significantly to the total development of the District.

Hon. Presiding Member (P.M.), the policy framework for the Medium-Term Development Plan (2022-2025), adopted by the Government of H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo is “Agenda for Jobs”.

The Agenda for Jobs policy framework seeks to ensure that majority of the people enjoy high quality of life with a reduced distance and cost for accessing health services. It also seeks to ensure that, roads, energy and communication infrastructure are accessible to a large extent. The implementation of this Policy Framework will ensure sustained growth of the District for improved livelihoods and social development. It is organized under the following broad themes:

  1. Economic Development
  2. Social Development
  3. Environment, Infrastructure and Human Settlements
  1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Hon. Presiding Member, the agriculture sector, is a major driver for improving household incomes and rural development for our people.

Our objectives in the area are:

  1. Improve production efficiency and yield
  2. Improve post-harvest management and
  3. Promote livestock and poultry development for food security and income generation

The government’s flagship programmes have been structured to meet these targets:

PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS (PFJ)

The first quarter outlook of this programme saw a total number of 1,650 farmers Sensitized and Educated on PFJ. This number is made up of 300 youth, 1,348 adults and 2 PLWDs. The education is necessary as it will help the farmers adopt the use of certified seeds, increased access to improved inputs and quality Extension Services thereby increasing growth in income and poverty reduction.

PLANTING FOR EXPORT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (PERD)

Hon. Presiding Member, you would recall the last time when I made mention of the fact that, improved Seedlings were being supplied to farmers in line with PERD, well, that has been done. In the first quarter of this year, the District Agric. Directorate visited these fields to monitor the activities of the farmers to ensure smooth progression of the crop and to give further directions. The improved certified seedlings supplied was aimed at helping the beneficiaries to promote rural economic growth, improve their household income and access to quality Extension Services. So far, a total of 580 farmers have since been registered for the program in the first quarter of 2022. This is made up 203 coconuts, 190 mangoes and 187 oil palm.

Also, CAMFED in Collaboration with the department of Agriculture   carried out (1) demonstration on the use of Orange Fresh Sweet Potato (OFSP) in the fortification and packaging of gari at Daamang. The training and demonstration was aimed at adding value to the gari thereby increasing growth in income. A total of 30 farmers benefited from the demonstration; consisting of 5 youth and 25 adults made up of 10 males and 15 females. furthermore, The Department in Collaboration with Forestry Commission has registered 89 farmers to be supplied with Fifteen Thousand Six-Hundred and Twelve (15, 612) trees made of 2,342 Mahogany, 9,115 Acasia, 1,900 Cinderalla, 1,655Emire and 300 each of Ofram and Wawa tree seedlings. This will serve as a means to prevent storm run-off, reduce erosion and pollution and as a means of mitigating against climate change. It is also an alternative source of income.

Agricultural Mechanization

Hon. Presiding Member, the district has one mechanization center in place. During the period under review, 300kg of maize was shelled, 45acres of land ploughed and 15 acres harrowed. In this, Thirty (30) farmers were involved, made up of 22males and 8females for the first quarter of 2022. This figure represents 100% increment of the 2021 figure of 15 farmers. These farmers were made up of 10males and 5females.

Other activities undertaken by the Agric. Directorate include:

Veterinary services for farm animals

Demonstration of appropriate Agricultural Technologies to more than 7000 farmers.

Six (6) improved livestock’s technology have been demonstrated to Eight Hundred and Forty Eight (848) farmers across the 11 operational zones within the district

The District can boast of Ten (10) Agro-Input Retail Outlets up from Six (6) last year.

The district has Thirty (30) functional Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs), made up of producers and processors where the processors are mainly into gari production. Their membership stood at (1,168) in 2022 made up of 677males and 491 females compared to 2021 figure of (699) consisting of 406males and 293females representing 67.1% increased.

Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD)

The WIAD sector witnessed nine (9) main improved technologies ranging from Orange Fresh Sweet Potato (OFSP) utilization, sanitation and personal hygiene, financial management, proper handling of farm produced , food safety, malaria prevention and control and off farm livelihood activities such as ( snails, mushroom and liquid soap preparation) to some 1078 farmers involving 543males and 535 female representing 49.6% female participation.  The technology disseminated would move a long way to improve upon the economic wellbeing of the rural farmers. 

2.0 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The overall goal of the Government’s social development strategies, over the medium term, is to create equal opportunity for all.

Hon. P.M., Education is a key aspect of national development, and have served as the main vehicle through which knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and character are acquired to build the requisite human capital.

Hon. P.M, the District has made tremendous strides in education ever since the government took office in 2017. In the last five years, the District has seen improvement in educational infrastructure, adequate delivery of learning and teaching materials, improvement in school feeding programme, free SHS among many others. Let me be quick to add that, more need to be done on this front to attract and retain more teachers to bridge the staff gap currently being experienced in the District.

Hon. Presiding Member, our region hosted the 2022 Independence Day Celebration at Cape Coast. As such, there were no celebration at the District level across the region. However, our District decided to do something to commemorate the Independence Day of our country. The District Assembly provided funds to the Education Directorate to organize a quiz competition for the basic schools in the District. The outcome was really commendable. It actually exceeded our expectations. The District Assembly intends to collaborate with all well-meaning organizations in the District to secure sponsorships to make this competition an annual affair. This is because the benefit of quiz competitions to pupils and teachers is unmeasurable. 

Hon. PM, permit me to defer the statistics on the BECE results to hopefully next sitting. This is because WAEC is yet to furnish the District with the Mother Sheet to enable the District Education Directorate to give us accurate statistics of the performance of the students. The outlook on the students performance, I must say is looking bright.

Nonetheless Hon. PM, the preparation for the 2022 BECE Exams is in earnest. The Parents Association (PA) and the District Assembly have agreed to organize four (4) mock examinations for the candidates to adequately prepare them for the upcoming exams. Like the previous year, the District Assembly will bear all the cost involved in the Examination Centre Arrangement, by providing vehicles to facilitate the movement of furniture from individual schools to the examination centers and also for the distribution of examination materials from the depot to examination centers to enable smooth take off of the examination. The District Library is also working hard to improve literacy among pupils by encouraging them to explore the pleasure of books and reading. They regularly organize annual quizzes to create healthy competitions between schools with improvement in quality in mind. 

SOCIAL WELFARE

During the quarter, the Social Welfare Department went on four (4) sensitization and mass education campaigns at the behest of some NGOs and Churches to educate the people on child trafficking, child domestic workers regulation 2020, child abuse and Child Rights and Protection. Places visited include: Gomoa Dago, Hweda, Mumford Eshiem and Zion Methodist church.

Unfortunately, our District is still battling with the menace of abuses on the rights of the child.

Hon. PM, to eradicate these unfortunate situation, calls for concerted efforts to deal with it decisively. The Assembly cannot do it all alone. I therefore, use this opportunity to thank all NGOs in the District who have been helping in this direction. We say Ayekoo to you. In the first quarter of the year, Women In Need (WIN) Ghana, an NGO, has already taken the lead to take the Department Social Welfare through a workshop. The workshop is on ways to build capacities of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to make them self- reliant. We commend them highly.

HEALTH

Construction of Health Center at Mumford

Hon. Presiding Member in my last address, I indicated that we have cut sod for the construction of Mumford health center.  I want to inform the house that construction has begun and work in on going on the site. It is our hope that the project would be completed on time to help delivery of quality health care in the district.

Continuous Distribution of Long-lasting Insecticide treated bed Nets (LLINs)

Hon. PM, the pandemic may be dying down but malaria is still the number one disease that is ravaging not only Ghana but the entire continent.

It is in this vein that, the Continuous Distribution of Long-lasting Insecticide treated bed Nets (LLINs) exercise is a key strategy adopted by the Ghana National Malaria Control Programme to reduce all forms of malaria cases. This Programme aims at distributing LLINs to Children aged 18- 59 months who receive Measles Rubella second dose vaccination and pregnant women who access Antenatal Care Services (ANC) for the first time.

In the first quarter, Hon. PM, 94.7% of children due for Measles Rubella second dose and 100% of pregnant women who were registered for ANC were given these nets.

Covid-19 Vaccination

Hon. PM, the District has a total eligible population of 92,834 including children 15-17 years and pregnant women to be vaccinated in 2022. A total of 21008, 8774 and 508 persons took their first, second and booster doses respectively out of which 9,282 were fully vaccinated.

Lifesaving Skills and Safety Net trainings

The district trained fifty-five (55) midwives on Lifesaving Skills in two batches facilitated by Regional Resource persons to prevent maternal dead, death of the baby before birth and other complications like high blood pressure and bleeding after delivery. These midwives together with Community Health Nurses were also trained to enroll adolescents who get pregnant into Safety Net Programme for care till they deliver.

NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY (NIA)

Hon. P.M, the new NIA district office as I stated the last time, started operating on 03/11/2021 with 4 permanent staff and was only issuing old cards. However, at the beginning of the first quarter of 2022, the staff strength has been augmented with 4 additional staff; comprising of 2 NIA Contract staff and 2 NSS personnel. They have added other operational areas like Enrollment of new applicants, verification of cards and customer service.

Hon. PM, the good news here is that, the office has taken delivery of additional machines to bolster registration of new applicants. This move has led to increase in the number of both enrollment of new applicants and issuance of cards.

Below is statistics for the 2022 first Quarter operations:

  • 2,059 people have registered for Ghana Card in NIA Gomoa West District Office.
  • 3,807 people that registered for Ghana Card in Gomoa West (Mass Registration, Mob-up and current new registration), have come for their cards.
  • 40 people did double registration (have registered before but came to register again). This is a criminal offence punishable by law. They advise that: should you register and faced with any difficulty in getting your card, visit the nearest NIA office for help.
  • 5,301 cards are still in their office yet to be collected by their owners. We urge Hon. Members to remind their constituents to come for their cards. The NIA office is opened throughout the week from Monday to Friday.

Another area of keen interest under this thematic area is health and sanitation.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SANITATION

Hon. P.M, the Assembly continuous to work hard to keep our District clean.

Major activities carried out include;

  1. A total of 514 Premises inspection (ESICOME) were conducted.
  2. Evacuation of accumulated heaps of refuse at Mumford and Akyemfo.
  3. Nine clean-up exercises were organized at Apam, Mumford, Ankamu and along the highway Accra – Cape Coast (Bewadze – Antseadze)
  4. A total of 50 food /drink handlers were screened.
  5. A total of seven (7) Community/School sensitization campaign and health education were carried out.
  6. Regular cleaning of the ‘Apaapaado’ area.
  7. Burial of one (1) pauper case at Gomoa Onyadze (near Total filling station) and of the Accra –Cape Coast Highway.
  8. Supervision of three (3) home burials at Apam, Osedze and Gomoa Abora.
  9. Intensification of CLTS activities in 11 communities through the Result Based Financing (RBF) programme.

NADMO

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) carried five (5) sensitization and Mass Education campaigns on Domestic and bush fires, windstorm and rainstorm. They have recorded Thirty- Two (32) incidence. This consists of 23 household windstorms, 7 households affected by rainstorms and 2 household fires. 74 victims were affected in the process.

REVENUE

IGF PERFORMANCE FIRST QUARTER 2021 AGAINST FIRST QUARTER 2022

  

NAME

2021 ANNUAL BUDGET 2021 ACTUAL  FIRST QUARTER 2022 ANNUAL BUDGET 2022 ACTUAL FIRST QUARTER
  

REVENUE

820,913.00 190,634.84 

23.22%

916,502.23 172,278.57 

18.79%

 

IGF REVENUE PERFORMANCE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF 2021 AND 2022

Hon Presiding Member, as at First Quarter last year 2021, the Assembly was able to collect an amount of One hundred and Ninety thousand, Six hundred and Thirty-Four Ghana cedis, eighty-four pesewas (GHC 190,634.84) constituting 23.22% as against an amount of One Hundred and Seventy-Two thousand, two hundred and Seventy-Eight Ghana Cedis, fifty-seven pesewas (GHC 172,278.57), resulting in 18.79% for 2022 first quarter. In the Two the financial years, we are consistently fallen short of the 25% projected for the quarter.

Hon. Members, we need all the help that we can get from you to shore up our revenue to continue with our developmental projects in the district.

SECURITY

Hon. Presiding Member, Gomoa West District is a peaceful place. The security and intelligence services are on top work. They work hard to keep us all safe. In order to keep this serenity in the District, the National Peace Council in collaboration with the District Assembly organized a day’s sensitization workshop on preserving peace in the District. The participants were drawn from the two main political parties and organized youth groups in the District.

The Police recorded a much-reduced cases of crime in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year. A total of 222 cases of crime were recorded in the first quarter of 2022 as against 326 the same period last year.

BUSINESS ADVISORY CENTRE

Hon. PM, the Business Advisory Centre is working hard to provide MSEs with the appropriate support to empower them to function as engine of growth for the District and the economy at large.

 In the first Quarter, they have offered training opportunities to A2E to equip them with basic KAIZEN knowledge to help increase productivity. Also, they have been involved in four other activities for some 436 persons, consisting of 74 males and 362 females in sustainable skill training.

On this note Hon. PM, I extend once again, a warm welcome to you all particularly our venerable Hon. Assembly members, Heads of Departments and wish you a fruitful deliberation.

 

May God bless us all and make Gomoa West District great and strong

Thank you

 

 

 

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