The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has held a consultative meeting with the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly as part of its ongoing implementation of the AVID-2 project in the Central Region.
The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders, including youth leaders from the Municipality was supported by STAR- Ghana Foundation and aimed to brief the Municipal Authorities about the project progress, evaluate community engagement, and discuss follow-up actions on critical development issues.
The session was opened by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Justice Amoah, who welcomed participants and expressed appreciation to ISODEC for empowering communities to take the lead in their own development. He urged youth groups to collaborate with traditional authorities and ensure inclusive participation by involving the elderly in development efforts.
“Your associations should be used to drive development; support your chiefs to develop your communities,” Mr. Amoah advised, while also encouraging respect for local laws and customs in the process.
The Head of Policy and Programmes at ISODEC, Mr. Bernard Anaba presented an overview of the project’s status. He highlighted the community needs assessment efforts and community sensitization activities that have been carried out through the Accountability Labs (ALs) that were instituted by ISODEC in the communities within the Mfantseman Municipality.
According to Mr. Anaba, the most pressing issue identified through community consultations was telecommunication challenges, as revealed by a pairwise ranking of community needs.
He also updated participants on follow-up actions taken on some major concerns.
Regarding the challenges with the telecommunications network, Mr. Anaba informed participants that through the efforts of the Accountability Labs, the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations
has requested an official letter from the Assembly to address the connectivity issues. In response, the Assembly committed to submitting the letter promptly.
On matters relative to Moratorium on Lithium Mining, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has noted that the moratorium was not intended to disrupt community livelihoods and have not provided endless timeline for moratoriums. The Assembly pledged to lobby Parliament to expedite Lithium contract signing, to relieve the community of their frustrations.
In response to complaints about quarry-related disturbances, the Assembly indicated its preparedness to work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to engage quarry companies and mitigate the impact on their buildings.
Municipal Planning Officer, Mary Nana Adjoa Mensah, confirmed that a recent needs assessment conducted by her department echoed ISODEC’s findings. She added that the Assembly’s Medium-Term Development Plan is still under review and may integrate some of the key concerns raised during the consultation.
“We captured some of the issues you raised today. I think we’ll review your report and identify which ones can be incorporated into our Medium-Term Development Plan for action,” she noted.
In his closing remarks, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Eric Stanley Acquah, commended ISODEC for its initiative and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting the project.
Participants were also given an opportunity to ask questions and contribute suggestions, enriching the discussions with local perspectives and insights.
Source: Publicagenda.news
