STMA to sustain decongestion exercise

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) in the Western Region has recruited 30 new metro guards.

The enlisted guards are to augment the existing number of metro guards and assist in ongoing efforts to keep the city clean.

The new recruits would undergo military training and are expected to pass out before Christmas this year.

Decongestion exercise

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Sekondi - Takoradi, Capt. (retd) Anthony Cudjoe,  who disclosed this in Sekondi said, "the recruitment exercise has become necessary to bring about discipline in the city and I commend the decongestion committee that was established by the assembly for a good work done in decongesting the city”.

A couple of months ago, the STMA, under the auspices of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (WRCC), successfully freed the central business district (CBD) of the city from congestion, particularly around the Market Circle.                                                                   Sustainability

Capt. Cudjoe was addressing the third ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the STMA. 

He  said it had become imperative that more effort was put into sustaining decongestion in the city as the Christmas season approached. 

He said it was in this direction that new city guards were being  recruited.

Capt. Cudjoe urged the assembly members to support attempts to keep the city free from congestion. 

Common fund

He said the financial performance of the assembly had improved and that in 2013, the assembly was able to collect 83 per cent of its estimated internally generated fund (IGF) as at the end of October.

He said the assembly had collected 87 per cent of its IGF as at the end of September this year.  He said unfortunately 

 "There has been no release of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for this year and so we must push up our performance to generate more from the IGF", Capt. CUdjoe said.

Development projects

Capt. Cudjoe disclosed that a total of GH¢6,911,780.57, was allocated for the facelift project at Kokompe, while GH¢6,565,837.30 was to be used to fund the integrated social centre housing project at Effiakuma.

He said the two projects had been awarded and handed over to the contractors, Messrs Hydronomics Limited. 

He explained that the Kokompe project was in two parts, involving the construction of 25-block garages and a two-storey skills training centre, all estimated at a cost of GH¢3,454,989.

According to the MCE, the assembly was in addition reconstructing arterial roads, drains and public toilets and shower facilities in selected places in the metropolis. He said contract for the works had been awarded to Justmoh Construction Limited. The project would cost GH¢3,456,791.

Road infrastructure

He said the assembly was rehabilitating a number of bad roads in the metropolis. Under the circumstances, he said, about 18.55 kilometers of arterial roads, including the Lagos town road, West Tanokrom Link and the Sekondi high street have been asphalted, while the 8.5 kilometre Kansaworado dual road was still under construction.