Central Regional Minister Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah urged the clergy, imams and chiefs of the Asikuma‑Odoben‑Brakwa area to harness their religious platforms to educate the public on the need to desist from activities that destroy the environment. The call was made during an accountability forum organised by the district assembly to explain how its share of the 2025 District Assemblies’ Common Fund was utilised and to gather resident feedback for future projects.
Minister Okyere said that religious venues are powerful mediums capable of reaching large numbers of people and could help bring about attitudinal change. He noted that if pulpits and mosques were effectively used to educate people against littering and indiscriminate dumping of waste, the district would not have to spend 10 per cent of the Common Fund on waste collection.
He implored residents to change their behaviour so that the Common Fund allocated for sanitation could be retained for more developmental projects, particularly in the education and health sectors. The minister highlighted that successes are not achieved in a vacuum but through planning and hard work, and that the government is undertaking programmes, projects and innovations aimed at improving citizens’ lives despite inherited challenges.
The district’s vision, as stated by District Chief Executive Mrs Olivia Bentil, is to become a leading district in improving quality of life through wealth creation, sustainable development programmes and good governance. She outlined the district’s 2025 budget and the allocation of the Common Fund, noting that 10 per cent was used for ongoing construction works on a 24‑hour market and that various health, water, environment and furniture projects were funded.
Other projects highlighted included the construction of 24‑hour economy model markets, CHPS compounds, primary and junior high school blocks, mechanised boreholes, and environmental sanitation activities such as solid and liquid waste management. Legacy projects completed or underway included kindergarten blocks, a renovated CHPS compound, and a surgical theatre at Our Lady of Grace Hospital.
Member of Parliament Anthony Kobina Ghansah was thanked for supporting projects such as a children’s ward at Brakwa Health Centre and a water‑closet toilet at Breman Senior High School. Chief Nana Osa Fori III, who chaired the event, thanked President John Dramani Mahama for the projects and urged the President, MP and District Assembly to consider other communities yet to benefit from development projects and to encourage residents to pay taxes to enable more projects.
Moving forward, the minister called on the community to continue supporting the Assembly, the MP and the government to execute more projects and programmes to improve living conditions in the area.
