By Alex Boye
The Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), through the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, has donated an amount of Thirty-five Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventy-four Cedis, Forty Pesewas (GHC35, 474.40) to the East Kwabenya Residents’ Association (EKRA) in support of the construction of the East Kwabenya Police Post.
The donation forms part of the Assembly’s move towards addressing the priority needs residents in the area.
It is also aimed encouraging them and other philanthropic organizations and individuals who wish to embark on self-help projects in the various communities to complement the Assembly and Government’s efforts in developing the Municipality.
EKRA, last year, submitted a request for support for the construction of a permanent Police Post to replace the old “Container Police Post” which had existed since 2007 when it was commissioned by the then Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency and immediate-past Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rev. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye.
In 2018, following persistent complaints by officers who manned the facility of the increasing health risk they were exposed to, the Association was informed of the decision by the Police Administration to withdraw the personnel and collabrate afterwards to find a permanent structure to replace it.
The Police Post, hitherto, served the security needs of residents of East Kwabenya and beyond and contributed immensely to the overall provision of security in the Municipality for nearly two decades.
The Ga East MCE, Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, who accompanied by the Presiding Member (PM), Jesse Nii Noi Anum, Assembly Member for Kwabenya Electoral Area, Hon. Bright Paul Mintah, and Municipal Planning Officer (MPO), Mr. Daniel Baah Tenkorang, presented a cheque of Thirty-five Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventy-four Cedis, Forty Pesewas (GHC35,474.40) to ECRA to support the construction of the new Police Post.
Additionally, the Assembly is issuing a permit for the construction at no cost and promises to provide further assistance when necessary.
Madam Kaakie Mann, in an interview with the media commended the Association for their commitment towards the development of the area and emphasized the need for the construction of the Police Post.
She urged other Residents’ Associations in the Municipality to emulate the example of EKRA, however, acknowledging that she was aware of such self-help projects undertaken in their respective jurisdictions.
The MCE reiterated her commitment in ensuring the needs assessment carried out by the Assembly on the various RAs are addressed as possibly as it can and called for patience and continued support.
“As an Assembly, we’re supposed to support all the departments, so this is just one of those. Per the needs assessment, we have in our records, need for roads, streetlights, etc. For East Kwabenya, their need was a Police Post and I’m here today” she stated.
”Today it’s East Kwabenya, tomorrow it would be Taifa, so they should just hold on and be expecting me”, the MCE assured.
For his part, the Chairman for EKRA, Mr. Charles Debrah Asante, expressed delight at the gesture by the Assembly and thanked the MCE and Management for not reneging on their pledge to support the project.
“We are most grateful for the day. The Good Lord has heard our prayers and we’ve been able to break the ground. With the support that we’ve had so far, we are going to start the project immediately. We’re most grateful for his support”, Mr. Asante remarked.
He appealed to residents, companies, businesses and other stakeholders in the area to lend their support to their cause, indicating that the Association intends to go round the community to solicit for assistance in any form that can help to construct the Police Post.
Mr. Asante also appealed to the MCE and her team to work on the main road through the community which links the Ashongman Estate and Kwabenya roads and passes in front of the site for the Police Post.
Patron of the Association, Mr. Thomas Appiagyei, added his voice to the call on the Assembly to fix their community roads and requested for a proper construction and beautification of the Musukoo Roundabout.
The Kwabenya District Police Commander, Superintendent Kombat Damontin, lauded the efforts and determination of the Association to reconstruct the Police Post with a permanent structure.
He promised to relentlessly push the Police administration to support the project and post personnel to the facility even before completion.
Mrs. Bright Paul Mintah, Assembly Member for Kwabenya, who was accompanied by a Member of the Unit Committee, Hon. Jake Y. Quansah, was grateful to the Assembly for the move to support the project and commended the Association for the initiative.
He pledged to organize stakeholder-engagements with the view to solicit support for the execution of the project.
The East Kwabenya Residents’ Association (EKRA), was formed in 1998, initially as a watchdog committee to address the security needs of the early occupants of the area as a result of high crime rate then.
EKRA, is thus, one of the oldest amongst the over 60 RAs in the Ga East Municipality with the old Container Police Post believed to be one of the first three of such facilities constructed by Residents’ Associations.
The total number currently stands at 8, two out of which are permanent structures; Atomic Hills Estate Police Station (constructed by the area council of churches) and Pure Water Police Post (constructed by the Pure Water RA).
