The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has revealed that most second cycle institutions in the Central Region are on lands that have not been properly acquired.
The situation, he stated, “has been a major factor encouraging private developers to encroach on public lands”.
He made the revelation in his maiden speech at the first Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting for the year 2017 in Cape Coast today.
The Minister, who has earmarked education, sanitation and job creation as his core areas of concentration, added that besides the schools, other public institutions in the Region are facing a similar problem.
In attendance were the newly confirmed District Chief Executives, their Presiding Members, representatives from the Regional House of Chiefs as well as all heads of public departments and agencies in the Region.
The Regional Minister also hinted on government’s plan to dualise the Accra-Takoradi Highway due to the heavy traffic on the road, urging district authorities to prevent prospective developers from building close to the highway.
On sanitation, he was worried that “despite the huge financial commitment, sanitation issues continue to worsen” in the Region.
“The recent outbreak of cholera in the Region, with Cape Coast as its epicenter, is something that we should all be concerned about and take the necessary steps to avoid its recurrence”, the Regional Minister added.
Speaking on the fight against illegal mining, Kwamena Duncan appealed to traditional authorities in the Region to “collaborate with the Security Committees to enforce the ban on small scale mining”.
He urged the Central Regional Development Commission (CEDECOM) and the Regional Tourist Authority to liaise with the various Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies “to come out with a blueprint on the tourism potentials of the Region to attract investors to the Region”.
The Central Region currently has two of the President’s twenty District Chief Executive nominees unconfirmed in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese and Ejumako-Enyan-Essiam districts.
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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana