The District Chief Executive of Okere District in the Eastern Region has expressed gratitude to President Akufo Addo for the opportunity given to him to serve as the DCE for the past three and half years under the ruling New Patriotic Party government.
According to him, under his leadership as the DCE, he has worked towards the development of the Okere District with a plethora of completed and ongoing projects.
Outlining the projects, undertaken since the District was created under the NPP Government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with his able MP Hon. Daniel Botwe has proven that they are laying a solid foundation for the new district created for the people of Okere.
He said the massive development in terms of physical infrastructure and human capacity building needs to be applauded.
The DCE said heaven has not been created yet but one can see that there’s a plan; “OkereMovingForward agenda” and they are strategically working to provide the necessary conditions that will uplift the standard of the people of Okere.
He noted that the Okere District has benefited from the skillful lobbying of our MP, Daniel Botwe, and the listening ears of Mr. President.
“First was the creation of the District and subsequent operation in 2018. Between that year and 2020, the president visited the District on his official tour twice (not to the campaign)
All the major roads that link the entire district are under construction with some completed” he noted.
According to him, “Very significant parts of the town roads in 6/7 major principal towns have seen or is about to see bitumen (notably Apirede town roads, Adukrom Akotokrom storm drain and road, VRA resettlement road, Awukugua bypass and Jamaica road, Dawu town roads- Jehovah witness road area, Abiriw town roads)
Assessee-Abonse -Agomeda road ongoing”.
The rest are; Amanfro – Nkyenoa- Amahi- Tinkong road completed. Asamang – Lakpa- Aboa – Akyikyisu – Koforidua ongoing. Shikoku -Afiafi-Ntronang- Koforidua Waterworks ongoing. Asenema – Krutiase Ongoing. Konko junction- Dawu Sanfo- Asasekorkor- Kwamoso ongoing.
He said the icing on the cake is the reconstruction of the dilapidated Nkurakan-Asamang-Onyamebekyere-Kobokobo-Nsutam-Amanfro-Okrakwadwo-Nyensi camp-Mintakrom-Aya-Asenema-Kporfe-Asemketewa-Bepoase-Adukrom-Aseseeso-Akuni-Somanya Trom junction road which begun this month February 2021.
Daniel Kenneth explained further that ” this road is a major highway that serves commuters from Ashante Region, Eastern Region to Oti Region some parts of Volta Region especially Kpando, Hohoe, Ho and also join the entire half of eastern region to the Akosombo and Akwamu area.
He added that there is the construction of teachers’ quarters across the district to bring teachers closer to pupils, there is the agenda of a K. G for each village underway.
He said Health facilities have been built and some upgraded with the construction of the District Hospital about to start, as 28 communities have been connected to the national electricity grid.
On sanitation, he said the major refuse dumps have been evacuated and a gradual household refuse collection has been established with both public and household toilet facilities built.
He explained that ” there is the youth in forestry, Youth in community Police, NABCO, and the enrollment of over 400 youth into an apprenticeship program to equip them with skills to earn a living, also convenient Social gathering places (Durbar grounds ) have been provided across the district and hoping to do more.
On Agriculture, he said there has been scaled up with the active wooing of large scale farmers through the land bank project and increase in free extension services.
“The setting up of a mushroom training center, benefits of PFJ, free supply of an accumulation of 87,000 cash crops to farmers (60,000 oil palm and 27,000 mangoes) in just two years. Reviving of the Okrakwadwo/Amanfro State farms under the GPSNP which currently employs 94 people with target cultivation of 50acres of oil palm for phase 1″ he said.
On the construction of a multi purpose sports complex and the support to 100 PWDs to earn a livelihood in just two years, he said the Okere District seeks to become the tourism hub and have launched the Okere Mountainfest (a tourism festival) with its last activity attracting over 3,000 patrons to AsenemaWaterfallss.
” It is the host of a privately owned Safari Valley Resort the biggest resort in Ghana currently and expanding to be the biggest in West Africa, adding that “the gold mine of the District is its numerous attractions. A forest reserve with waterfalls at Abiriw, the birthplace of Okomfo Anokye at Awukugua and his early years wonders at Dedaku in Apirede, The Asenemawaterfallss, the slave trade market, and the beautiful hills of Abonse which is suitable for paragliding, the Okum Akwamu wonder stone at Apirede, the Akyeremateng and Nsutawaterfallss and the counter-terrorism training school (occasionally opened to tourist) also at Akyeremateng”.
He said the District is actively seeking private partnerships to upgrade its potential, with more to come Okere is arguably becoming the fast-growing District.
He indicated that in two years the official office building complex is almost complete with a few touches left to be handed over.
