Daniel Dagba
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Akatsi South, Daniel Dagba, has rolled out an ambitious sanitation and infrastructure overhaul, recording major gains in refuse clearance, road reshaping, and revenue mobilisation.
Mr. Dagba said sanitation was his immediate priority upon taking office. He recounted how the central market and surrounding areas were engulfed in heaps of refuse, which took the assembly two weeks to completely clear.
“Only yesterday we were able to finish clearing the refuse sites around the market. The volume we collected was so huge that our dumping site got full, forcing us to deploy vehicles to dispose of it elsewhere. Today, I can confidently say the market is clean,” he said.
He indicated that the municipality has since intensified its participation in the National Sanitation Day exercise, desilting major drains from Accra Station to the Municipal Hospital, Ayidzime, and other key locations.
He also revealed that this was the second major clean-up since his assumption of office.
The Municipal Chief Executive disclosed that the assembly had reshaped 3.9 kilometres of roads across the municipality. These included the stretch from El Shaddai Enterprise to the N3 Gas Filling Station linking Dagbui Road, as well as Akatsi SecTech Junction to Mount Zion School. A portion of the Akatsi–Agomor Road was also reshaped to enhance connectivity between Akatsi South and Akatsi North.
He indicated that the assembly had implemented robust reforms that blocked revenue leakages and boosted internally generated funds. Repairs carried out on market structures and gates have significantly improved revenue collection.
“Before I came, the assembly had raised GH¢117,000 and spent GH¢74,000. Daily market revenue was between GH¢1,000 and GH¢4,000. But since we fixed the gates and introduced new measures, the least we now get on market days is GH¢12,000, with the highest so far being GH¢17,357,” he disclosed.
Monthly revenue collections have soared from an average of GH¢30,000 to more than GH¢139,000 in July alone. Within just three months, the assembly has mobilised GH¢482,000, representing nearly a 500 percent increase compared to the same period before his appointment.
He attributed this remarkable growth to the introduction of a high-surveillance initiative by the assembly, as well as the collective effort of staff and assembly members. He assured that the additional revenue would be reinvested into sanitation, infrastructure, and other developmental projects to accelerate progress in the municipality.
The MCE expressed confidence that Akatsi South would surpass its annual revenue targets by the end of the year, emphasising his commitment to transforming the municipality into a cleaner, more developed, and financially sustainable area.
By Daniel K. Orlando, Akatsi