Hon. Presiding Member, Over the past years, our municipality has witnessed significant and remarkable strides in various sectors, these include: infrastructure, Education, Healthcare, Security, and social welfare. we have also embarked on several ambitious projects as well as the expansion of essential services to previously deprived areas aimed at improving the quality of life for our residents.
EDUCATION
Hon. Presiding member, to give more impetus to Technical Education, the government of his excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, has instituted a more vigorous Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), where the youth will acquire employable skills to enable them fit into the industries or self-employed. this will improve their standard of living
REVENUE
Hon. Presiding Member, Revenue, which is described as the life blood of any organization or institution, without it cannot function effectively. Our biggest constraints of the Assembly are our struggle to mobilize revenue to implement activities, projects and programs. Thankfully, the Assembly has instituted some pragmatic measures by posting experienced officers to two council thus: Wa Urban and Busa Zonal Councils to augment the existing staff to enable them deliver on the mandates. the remaining councils will also get some officers to revamp them. sooner than later, we expect significant improvement on revenue inflows from these areas.
PROPERTY RATE
Hon. Presiding Member, it would be recalled that, I informed the house of Government partnership with Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to mobilize property rate on behalf of MMDAs in Ghana. As at 31st July, 2023, the Assembly has received four thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty-One Ghana Cedis (GH₵4,821.00) from the GRA. the receipts started in May, 2023 and the Assembly received it share immediately a property owner pays his/her property rate online. I therefore urge all Hon. Members to encourage property owners in their electoral areas to meet Mr. Musah Alhasan, the Desk Officer; he will assist you to make payment online. He can be contacted on 0244074767 for any form of assistance on the payment of property rate.
2022 AUDITOR GENERAL REPORT
Colleague Hon. Members, it is gratifying to inform the general house that, in the 2022 Auditor General Report, our Assembly has not been cited for any audit infraction. this I find worthy of reporting for Hon. Members and their constituents to be abreast with the current state of the Assembly.
WATER AND SANITATION
Colleague Hon. Members, I want to draw your attention that the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr Paul Baba Mornah has retired and I want to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to him and wish him well in his retirement. Residents have moral duty to keep themselves and their surrounding clean, as there is an adage that a healthy society is a worthy society. living a healthy lifestyle is a right attitude every society should embrace. ensuring a good sanitary condition is a shared and collective responsibility. in the second Quarter of this year, the Environmental Health Unit collaborated with some Hon. Members and successfully carried out clean-up exercise at Kpaguri, Kambali, Jengbeyiri, Dondoli, Naayiri and Sendamuni. the unit also collaborated with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and implemented a month disinfection exercise on public places such as Senior High Schools across the municipality to contain the breeding spread of mosquitoes. Municipal Assembly’s block also benefited from this laudable initiative.
Hon. Presiding Member, plans are far advanced to urgently put finality to the acquisition of a new site for burial of our beloved relatives who pass-on to eternity. Another area worthy of mentioning is the CLTS status in the municipality, out of the 36 communities currently under the community led total sanitation (CLTS), 19 of them have so far been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). this was achieved through effective collaboration with Pronet -North, Community Water and Sanitation Agency and Water Aid. The Municipality is working assiduously with other stakeholders to ensure that the remaining communities achieve that status.
HEALTH
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Municipal Assembly is constructing a multi-purpose Delivery, Surgical and Recovery ward at the Wa Municipal Hospital to bring relief to mothers and children thereby reduce or eradicate maternal and infant moralities.
ELECTRICITY
Colleague Hon. Members, I am delighted to inform you that, 2no. Transformers have been procured to connect the Nakore Wood Village police post and Wa Shopping Centre to the national electricity grid.
A number of streetlights which were not functioning were accordingly repaired to improve on the security situation within the municipality. the repair works is a continuous process and we shall continue to work on our streetlight.
ROADS
The Ghana Secondary Cities Support Program is a world Bank Sponsored program for 25 selected Municipal Assemblies across the country. Wa Municipal is the only Municipality in the upper west Region benefiting from this program. Under this program for this year, we have advertised for the following:
- Construction of 0.6Km road with bitumen surfacing, box culvert, drains, speed ramps, road line marking and road signs from Kambali Central Mosque to Dobile linked road (phase 1)
- Construction of Wa -Charia Road with bitumen surfacing, road line marking and road signs.
SOCO
The soco cohesion (SOCO) project is a regionally coordinated solution that effectively responds to local needs. its development objective is to improve regional collaboration and sociology-economic and climate resilient of border zone communities in the targeted northern regions. The SOCO projects is expected to deliver resilient community infrastructure and assets through a community Driven Development approach (CDD). The project will be implemented over a period of five (5) years.
The Municipal Assembly proposed projects under SOCO for two years, which has been advertised on the daily graphic include the following:
- Construction of 3no. Delivery Rooms and supply of Delivery Beds, Patient Beds with Mattresses, Cupboard, Courch-Examination Bed, 6no. Chairs, 3no. Tables and 2no. Steel benches at Kpongu, Gbegruu and Jongu (lot 1)
- Sitting, Drilling and Mechanization of 1no. Borehole with 3,500 litre capacity Tank mounted on an elevated stand at Jongu, Kpongu and Gbegruu (lot 2)
- Spot Improvement of 8.4Km Zingu-Charia (lot 3)
- Rehabilitation of Chansa Small Earth Dam (lot 4)
The Tendering process has commenced for procurement
CONCLUSION
I commend the dedication and unwavering commitment of our Municipal staff, the various committees, and the community leaders. without your hard work and passion for service, we would not have achieved these remarkable strides.
As we move forward, challenges will undoubtedly arise, but I firmly believe that our shared determination and spirit of cooperation will prevail. Together, we can overcome any obstacles and build an even stronger and more resilient municipality.
With the support of our Municipal council and the backing of our vibrant communities, I am confident that we will continue to achieve new heights and transform our Municipality into a shining example of progress and prosperity.
Thank you once again for your unwavering support and trust in our leadership. Let us forge ahead together, guided by the values of transparency, accountability and exclusivity.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS OUR MUNICIPALITY AND ITS PEOPLE
