Asante-Akim South Elevated to Municipal Status

A colourful ceremony has been held at Juaso to commemorate the formal elevation and official inauguration of the Asante Akim South District into a municipal status.

Asante Akim South is among the three districts in the Ashanti Region, elevated into municipal status. The others are Ahafo-Ano North and Kwabre East.

The ceremony was attended by chiefs, assembly members, opinion leaders, heads of decentralized departments, representatives of political parties and other identifiable groups and organizations.

Mr. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways who inaugurated the Assembly on behalf of the President, said government was offering a new approach for doing things to drive the agenda of change, growth, job creation and prosperity for all.

The agenda, he said, would be fulfilled if governance was taken to the doorsteps of the people, to ensure effective grass-root participation, better planning and improved service delivery in local communities.

The Minister said the assemblies were considered essential for balanced and equitable development at the local level, adding that, their task was enormous.

“It is obvious that an enormous responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of the assemblies regarding deeper political and administrative decentralization, decentralized planning, fiscal decentralization and improving popular participation,” he added.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Alexander Frimpong, said the occasion marked a significant landmark in the history of the Assembly and an opportunity to celebrate its successes while planning for the years ahead.

He said the Assembly had made giant strides in the areas of health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation over the years.

Mr Frimpong however, indicated that the elevation of the area into a municipal status would bring its own challenges.

He therefore, called for the support of all stakeholders in prosecuting the development agenda of the Assembly, saying, the task ahead was a shared responsibility.

Mr. Frimpong further appealed to the chiefs to make lands available as more investors had expressed interest in establishing factories in the Municipality under the one district one factory policy.

He paid glowing tribute to past district chief executives, workers of the Assembly, chiefs and other key stakeholders for their immense contributions towards the elevation of the Assembly.

Nana Agyei Tabi Asafoakaa, the Paramount Chief of Juaso Traditional Area, said chiefs in the area would continue to partner the assembly to promote development that would lift the people from poverty and improve their living conditions.

Source: GNA