Kojo Acquah
THE MUNICIPAL Chief Executive (MCE) for the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA), Kojo Acquah, has bemoaned the increasing drug abuse cases being recorded in the municipality.
He said recent reports received by the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) indicated that drug peddling and their usage, particularly, among the youth is going up.
He said investigations by the Municipal Security Co-ordinator in collaboration with the police, revealed that two students of Rev Cobbah Yalley Junior High School in the area, who recently abused their headmistress physically, committed the offence under the influence of drugs.
He said the case was still under investigation and that the parents of the two students were being engaged by the Effia Police Command.
The MCE disclosed this during the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the EKMA.
He said the assembly was reliably informed that some residents in the municipality organised their funeral ceremonies in non-compliance with the Ministry of Health protocols against the Covid-19.
“MUSEC has given approval to the Covid-19 Taskforce Team to periodically conduct patrols particularly on weekends to enforce strict compliance of social distancing, masks wearing and all the other protocols,” he added.
He noted that generally, the municipality was calm despite the few reported crime cases adding that “the security agencies, with support from the assembly, continue to work assiduously to ensure peace and tranquility within EKMA.”
Mr Acquah added that the assembly, in collaboration with Marie Stopes, an NGO, educated pupils within 10 Junior High Schools in the municipality on adolescent health.
“This is because of the constant reports the assembly had received about teenage pregnancies and sexual abuse among others.
He told the assembly members that the assembly had completed the procurement processes and awarded the second-year projects under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme.
He said the projects included the asphaltic surfacing of the 2.0 kilometers Asakae-Whindo road and bitumen surfacing of the 0.5 kilometers Whindo Health Post road.
He also mentioned the construction of 10 ‘No Refuse Collection’ points as well as supply of 10 ‘No Skip Refuse’ containers.
He disclosed that some other development projects had also been completed and handed over during the second quarter of this year.
The projects include 10 mechanized boreholes with concrete overhead stand and poly tank, the renovated two storey 14-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities for Lagos Town M/A Primary school.
He also mentioned the reconstructed open market shed and drainage works at Asakae market; the constructed 30 bay partitioned market shed at Whindo and the constructed fence wall and ground works project for Whindo Health post.
He said the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Urban Roads Department of the assembly, embarked on a number of de-silting exercises within the second quarter of the year.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi