The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asene-Manso-Akroso, Eric Ahinikwa, has appealed to the government to urgently address road and educational infrastructure challenges in his district.
Speaking in an interview after appearing before Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee during its public sitting on Friday, Mr. Ahinikwa said poor roads remain a major concern for residents.
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“I am only pleading with the government. Though they are giving us enough money to work with, when it comes to the road, I didn’t hear my district’s name under the Big Push initiative.”
“The road has been awarded to Midwest Construction, but since NPP left power, it has been abandoned for months. I am pleading with the government to come to our aid so that the road will be functioning and our people will also have good access,” he stressed.
The DCE also lamented the state of school infrastructure in the area, noting that some buildings are in deplorable condition.
“When I was going for elections, I used my own personal money to start putting up a school building for one of the communities. Though construction is ongoing, it is not moving as fast as expected. The government has given us three schools to build, but I believe more should be done,” he said.
On revenue generation, Mr. Ahinikwa disclosed that bad roads have affected market activities, limiting internally generated funds (IGF).
“Akroso has a big market that attracts traders from Winneba and Accra, but because of the bad roads, people are not coming anymore. If the road is fixed, our IGF will increase because when traders come, we tax them,” he explained.
He added that education on taxation is ongoing to encourage compliance with property rates and other levies.
“People initially questioned why they should pay property rate but after education, they are beginning to understand the process. We budgeted for GH¢600,000 in IGF, and I believe we can exceed that target,” the DCE noted.
Mr. Ahinikwa reiterated his call for government support, emphasizing that road networks and school infrastructure remain critical to unlocking the district’s development potential.