The Member of Parliament (MP) for Agotime-Ziope constituency, Charles Agbeve, DCE and other stakeholders toured some seven educational and health projects sites in the district.
The speaking to the media after the tour commended the District Chief Executive (DCE), the District Assembly and other key stakeholders for the steady progress being made on District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) projects across the district, describing the initiative as vital to improved service delivery in health and education.
The inspection formed part of efforts to assess the impact of recent DACF disbursements on stalled and new development projects.
The MP noted that about 80 per cent of DACF allocations were released directly to the Assemblies last year, accompanied by clear implementation guidelines, a move he said has significantly accelerated development in the district. He observed that the new funding formula has helped revive projects that had remained abandoned for years.
During the tour, Agbeve inspected the construction of a three-unit classroom block aimed at replacing unsafe learning structures. He stressed the urgency of addressing the poor conditions under which pupils had previously studied, noting that quality education cannot thrive in unsafe environments.
He revealed that some projects initiated as far back as 2014 had been abandoned for nearly a decade until the introduction of the current DACF funding arrangement. While expressing mixed feelings about the pace of work at Akpokorpe the MP said he was encouraged by the contractor’s return to site following his direct intervention.
Agbeve also urged the youth in beneficiary communities to take advantage of employment opportunities created by the projects.
He emphasised the importance of local content in project execution, encouraging young people to offer their labour and skills rather than allowing contractors to rely solely on workers brought in from outside the communities. He cited Adzorvi as a positive example, where local youth were actively involved in construction-related activities, including repairing a borehole and submersible pump to provide water for the project.
The District Chief Executive for Agotime-Ziope, Alfred Klu Odikro, disclosed that upon assuming office he inherited about 28 uncompleted projects, most of which had been abandoned at the foundation stage. He, however, assured residents that under strict directives from President John Dramani Mahama, no development project would be abandoned.
Odikro explained that the Assembly has prioritised three projects for immediate completion before moving on to the remaining ones. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable development, assuring residents that no project in the Agotime-Ziope District would be left unfinished.
The tour highlighted renewed momentum in the district’s development efforts, with education and healthcare infrastructure emerging as key beneficiaries of the improved DACF implementation framework.
On the health front, the District Director of Health Services, Mr. Emmanuel Ayamba, disclosed that the district is benefiting from two new Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHIPS) compounds in the Ziope and Kpetoe South electoral areas. He explained that many communities in the district are located more than five kilometres from the nearest health facility, making access to healthcare a major challenge.
According to Mr. Ayamba, the new CHIPS compounds will help bridge this gap, promote equity in healthcare delivery, and significantly improve maternal health outcomes by bringing antenatal, delivery and postnatal services closer to pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.
Reporting by Solomon Mensah-Ahiable Volta region
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