Western Region gets fair share of development projects - Minister
The Western Region has seen some development projects over the years, the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has said.
He mentioned the Takoradi Harbour, tourism, railways, markets, roads and general infrastructure as some of the areas that had seen some growth.
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He also said the agricultural and the oil and gas sectors were being developed, adding that “the Western Regional Coordinating Council will continue to support and promote investment in these areas for the benefit of the people”.
Mr Darko-Mensah said this when he took his turn at the meet-the-press series of the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday.
Development projects
On roads, the minister said 32.64 per cent of feeder roads had been done, with work on 26 per cent of urban roads and 44 per cent of highways also completed.
He mentioned Takoradi, Ellembelle, Jomoro, Essikado, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Ahanta West, among others, as some of the places that had had some of their roads worked on.
Mr Darko-Mensah added that the construction of the Takoradi Interchange was 68 per cent complete, while the Kojokrom-Manso railway line had been done.
The construction of a 78km rail line between Manso and Nsuta was also on course and expected to be completed by July 2023, he said.
The minister further mentioned the construction of an automated oil jetty and a modern container terminal at the Takoradi Port, a forward operating base (FOB) at Ezinlibo in Jomoro, a fishing harbour and landing beaches at Axim and Dixcove and sea defence walls at Amanful Kuma, Aboadze, Adjoa and Funkoe as some of the projects the region had benefitted from the government.
Additionally, he said the health sector had also received some support.
“The construction of a polyclinic at New Takoradi, the upgrading of the Mpohor Health Centre, a health infrastructure project at Bokro-Ahanta West and Mpohor, the construction and equipping of a 90-bed district hospital at Shama are part of things we have achieved,” he said.
Others were the rehabilitation and remodeling of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, the construction of polyclinics at Bogoso in Prestea/Huni Valley, Elubo in Jomoro and Nsuaem-Tarkwa.
The minister further said 22 GETFund projects had been completed, while 25 others were ongoing, adding that “at the basic level, 21 projects have been completed, while15 are ongoing”.
Concerns
He said the activities of illegal miners (galamsey) continued to be a major challenge in the region.
“Formerly, we used to do scoops, but now we are arresting the people as part of measures to stop this menace going on in our forests and river bodies,” he added.
Mr Darko-Mensah said his outfit, in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, trained 87 river guards who had been deployed to police water bodies in the region against the activities of galamseyers.
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