Damongo-Ghana, June 15, GNA – Mr Karimu Musah Kusubari, West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive has decried the increasing rate of road crashes in the municipality and called for pragmatic steps from stakeholders to curb the situation.
He said, “The new developing trend that threatens the peace and security in the municipality is the high rate of road accidents, especially motorbike crashes and pedestrian knock-downs causing deaths and severe injuries to innocent people.”
He made the call while delivering his sessional address at the 1st Ordinary Meeting of the 4th Session of the 8th Assembly of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly at Damongo in the Savannah Region.
Mr Kusubari said in May, 2023 alone, three persons died including a pregnant woman at Busunu and two others at Canteen and Damongo township.
He said the National Road Safety Authority officials were working to ensure sanity on the roads, urging all stakeholders to give them the maximum support and cooperation to enforce discipline and traffic regulations on the roads, especially motorbike riders.
He further called on the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service to crack the whip on individuals and groups, whose actions obstructed road traffic regulations.
On the Damongo Chieftaincy resolution processes, Mr Kusubari said the Yagbonwura was working tirelessly behind the scenes, adding very soon, a roadmap would be put out for amicable and lasting resolution of the conflict.
He expressed concern about the recent conflict at Mempeasem and Lukula in the North Gonja District between Gonjas and Mamprusis and the associated tensions and spillover to the municipality.
He urged all parties to exercise restraint and support the Security Agencies to restore lasting peace and security to sustain the coexistence between Gonjas and Mamprusis.
Mr Kusubari touched on internally generated funds (IGF) of the Assembly and said the Assembly projected to mobilise an amount of GH¢712,745.00 as IGF for the 2023 fiscal year.
He said as of April 30, 2023 the amount generated stood at GH¢153,197.54, representing 21.4 per cent, adding “This achievement is largely with the support and cooperation of the Zonal Council Chairperson, who supported Management reform in the revenue collection.”
He said if the trend continued, the Assembly stood the chance of meeting close to 90% and above, of its targeted performance for the year.
Mr Kusubari further spoke about water and sanitation and said Global Communities, an NGO, operating in the area, was partnering the Assembly to implement a water and sanitation project aimed at promoting water, sanitation and hygiene in schools and communities as well as improving access to household toilets and preventing open defecation.
He said so far 15 communities, including small towns, had been selected and collection of baseline information was underway by facilitators to herald the implementation of open defecation free (ODF) protocols.
He indicated that the municipality could boast of 20 communities, which had been certified as ODF, bringing the total to 24 out of the over 78 communities.
The MCE said the hazards of open defecation to health, education and productivity could not be overemphasised, and called for concerted efforts from Assembly persons, Unit Committees, Heads of Department, traditional authorities, the media to support the ODF campaign to free Damongo, the Regional Capital, and all communities in the municipality from open defecation.
Mr Kusubari commended the staff of the Environmental Health Unit and World Vision for supporting efforts to ensure that the area was free of ODF.
