The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Afigya Kwabre North in the Ashanti Region, Emmanuel Jackson-Agumah, has unveiled a series of critical development initiatives aimed at tackling deep-seated challenges in education, health, infrastructure, and local revenue generation within the district.
Speaking to the media after his appearance before Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Mr. Jackson-Agumah outlined his administration’s focus on improving living and working conditions, particularly in remote areas.
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The DCE revealed that addressing the poor road network and providing suitable accommodation for teachers are top priorities. He cited the community of Duaponko located about 11 kilometres from the main highway, as a key focus area.
“Apart from other projects, we are also tackling several schools and teachers’ quarters. For instance, there is a place called Duaponko. We are reshaping the road, and we’re also building teachers’ quarters and a new school block so teachers can stay comfortably and teach the children,” he explained.
On the district’s generally poor road infrastructure, Mr. Jackson-Agumah confirmed repeated engagements with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure Afigya Kwabre North is adequately captured in upcoming national construction schedules.
“Since I assumed office in January 2025, I’ve been to the Feeder Roads Department five times and also to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure that our major road problems are captured in the district road engineering list,” he noted. He added that internally generated funds have been used to reshape crucial roads Ahenkro town roads, Duaponko among other roads.
In the health sector, the Assembly has allocated funds for the expansion of the Ahenkro Health Centre, the district’s largest facility.
The DCE noted that the strategic location of Ahenkro on the Techiman highway makes the centre vital for the entire district. He believes the expansion will enable the facility to absorb most of the cases that would otherwise be referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and St. Patrick’s Hospital.
On revenue mobilisation, Mr. Jackson-Agumah revealed that the Assembly has employed innovative steps to boost its internal revenue base. This includes capacity-building training, motivation for collectors through incentives like extra transport allowances, and empowering local area councils by granting them 50 per cent of their collections for the Assembly.
“This has motivated them to intensify their efforts,” he stated.
The DCE disclosed that the Assembly has received GH¢6.6 million from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for the first and second quarters of 2025.
These funds are being strategically used to complete inherited legacy projects and initiate new ones.
“We’ve advertised seven major new projects to be financed by DACF allocation. We’ve opened tenders, completed valuation, and this Friday, we’ll hold the tender committee meeting to begin awarding contracts,” he revealed, adding that part of the internally collected funds has also gone into constructing a mechanised borehole for staff quarters at the Assembly.
Mr. Jackson-Agumah expressed confidence that the progress made in just three months in office demonstrates his commitment to transforming Afigya Kwabre North through practical, community-centred development.