MP addresses challenges of minority groups in Afram Plains
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwahu Afram Plains North in the Eastern Region, Betty Nana Efua Krosby Mensah, is collaborating with the Ministry of Energy to assist those on the island communities especially the vulnerable with renewable power to boost their economic activities.
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The people in the islands in the constituency have been cut off from the national grid, necessitating the MP to take the matter up as her special initiative to bring relief to her people.
Currently over 94 communities have been assessed awaiting the final report from the ministry to hook the people up onto the system.
“That's not the only challenge the people including the physically challenged, women and children are facing.”
“These people have been denied basic necessities of life (including good roads to boot their farming activities) for a long time,” she told the Daily Graphic in an exclusive interview.
Education/ Health
The MP said the lack of basic infrastructure including school buildings was hampering academic work in the constituency.
“Out of 222 island communities, we have less than eight Junior High Schools (JHS) and the basic schools over there are woefully inadequate.”
“Communities with basic schools lack teachers.
At a particular community, one teacher who doubles as a headmaster teaches from class one to six.
Luckily, two other teachers have accepted postings to the community to assist and reduce the stress,” she said.
“These are people I have stood for over the years, especially dealing with child trafficking, child labour and addressing lack of social amenities.
I have been working hard to address the needs of such groups through government interventions.”
Mrs Krosby Mensah said on health, the issue was no different.
She indicated there were few community clinics which were started under the era of former President John Dramani Mahama and were at different levels of completion.
“Through my little resources, I have been able to complete two out of the three CHPS compounds and handed them over to the Ghana Health Service which is currently in operation.”
“We have targeted another one on the Dwarf Island, hoping to raise money to complete it,” she added.
The MP reckons that the challenges are quite enormous but she is focused on bringing relief to the people.
“I feel that if I'm able to provide education for the community, the people with disability can access it.
In the meantime, what I have done is to provide some wheelchairs to enable them to move around easily.”
“In that regard, I have also supplied some of the CHPS compounds with wheelchairs.
I have also assisted a family with three physically disabled with wheelchairs. In 2017 for instance, I transported three blind persons to the Agogo Health Centre and praise be to God, today, all of them can see.
