This is the first
of a two part-feature that ahantanews360’s Managing Editor, Samuel Kojo Brace,
has done on the prospects of Ahanta West growing into the business hub of the
Western Region of Ghana.
It is pleasing to
hear that Ahanta West District has a greater potential of achieving that
status. What we need to do now is to pull resources; energy, knowledge, and money,
etc, together and help the district to achieve this status. It is possible!
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| Delegation from Ahanta West in Korea for A Workshop |
The District Chief Executive
for the Ahanta West District Assembly (AWDA), Hon. Joseph Dofoyena, has
describe the Ahanta West District as one of the fastest growing districts in
Ghana.
He said the
development is as a result of the oil find in the country, which is located
south of Cape Three Points, a town in the district.
According to him,
because of the oil find, the district has been zoned into residential,
industrial, agricultural, and tourism zones.
The project which,
according to the DCE, was started by Hon. Kwesi Biney (DCE of AWDA during NPP’s
regime) and implemented by Hon. Jones Amoah, was done to prevent haphazard
development in the district. He added that Hon. Jones Amoah brought in experts
from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to help in the design of the project.
According to Hon.
Joseph Dofoyena, the Ahanta West District organized an International Symposium
in 2012 to showcase its potentials to the outside world, adding that as a
result, many investors have trooped into the district to invest.
“A lot of companies
are in the process of establishing their major depots in the district to
undertake various services for the country, West Africa, Africa, and even some
parts of the world. So we are seeing some developments going on”.
Hon. Dofoyena said
the AWDA is making sure that the investors/developers develop within the laid
down plan of the district.
He said the
development is bringing some revenue in terms of building and development
permits.
The Hon. DCE
explained further that the level of developments along the Agona
Nkwanta-Takoradi Highway indicates how fast the district is developing, saying “a
lot of companies have acquired lands in the district for developments, indicating
that the district is growing.”
Funds
Touching on funds,
Hon. Dofoyena said the numerous developments along the highway from Agona to
Takoradi may be mistaken to be bringing some major revenue to the district, but
that cannot be the true picture.
“People who pass
through Agona to Takoradi may see several developments going on. That in itself
may not necessarily give a lot of revenue to the district because all these
companies are now establishing themselves. So people may say that Ahanta West
you have money. Yes, it will yield in revenue, but not now”
He said the
district is in crisis now in terms of revenue availability for the development
of the district, adding that the district wants to shift from relying on
external sources of funds for developing the district.
“We want to shift
from external sources of fund; from the central government and donors that
partner the government. For example District Development Fund (DDF) is a
donor-government funding. The assembly has passed from 2008 to now, but only half
of the money for 2011 has come. For 2012, nothing has come”
He said this money
has not reached the district assembly though the AWDA has passed the Functional
Organizational Assessment (FOAT), which is a prerequisite for accessing the
facility.
On the Common Fund,
Hon. Dofoyena said from the beginning of this year, there has been two releases
for the previous year (2013) but not that of the current year, 2014.
He said as a result
of this, the district assembly has given out the collection of revenues out on
contract to some indigenous companies to help the assembly raise enough internally
generated fund (IGF) to develop the district.
The
bane to Ahanta’s Prospects
Making reference to
a discussion he had on a platform operated by the Ahanta Tertiary Graduates for
Development (TEGRAD), Hon. Dofoyena regretted the lack of Ahantas who are ‘big’
people in the government to lobby for the Ahanta West District.
He said the
corporate social responsibilities of the oil companies are lobbied for by ‘big’
men for their areas, and that the lack of such people for Ahanta is hampering
the district’s progress.
“The corporate
social responsibilities that the oil companies operating in Ghana are doing for
the country, if you don’t have people who lobby for projects in your district,
you will see a whole lot of corporate social responsibility projects being
carried out all over the places but you don’t see such in your district”
He continued:
“anytime I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet these companies, I complain a lot
to them that there should be a conscious efforts by the companies, government
and everybody to establish certain institutions that will ensure equitable
distribution of corporate social responsibility or whatever. And that it should
not be that if you don’t have people in government to lobby for you, it means
your district becomes neglected”.
He said this
situation is the bane of underdevelopment of the Western Region in general.
Hon. Joseph Dofoyena
told ahantanews360 that all in all “our
district has a greater potential to develop.”
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| DCE, Hon. Dofoyena and some delegates listening to a an expert. |
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