The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Afigya Kwabre North in the Ashanti Region, Emmanuel Jackson-Agumah, has outlined an ambitious plan to fix the district’s deteriorating road network as part of a broader strategy to boost local development and improve living standards.
Speaking to journalists after appearing before Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Mr. Jackson-Agumah described poor road conditions as one of the most pressing challenges confronting communities across the district. He said his administration has placed road rehabilitation at the centre of its development agenda to ease transportation difficulties and stimulate economic and social activities.
“Our roads are in a deplorable state, and that has affected access to schools, markets, and health facilities. Since I assumed office in January 2025, I’ve been to the Feeder Roads Department five times and also to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure that our major road problems are captured in the district road engineering list,” he disclosed.
The DCE noted that the Assembly has already taken steps to reshape key roads using internally generated funds, including those within Ahenkro town and the Duaponko community, located about 11 kilometres from the main highway.
He said the Assembly is not only regrading the Duaponko road but also constructing new teachers’ quarters and a modern school block to attract and retain teachers in the area.
“We are reshaping the road and providing accommodation so teachers can stay comfortably and teach the children,” Mr. Jackson-Agumah said.
The DCE emphasized that better road infrastructure is critical for linking rural communities to markets and social services, adding that he has received assurances from the Ministry of Roads and Highways that Afigya Kwabre North will feature prominently in upcoming national construction schedules.
Beyond roads, Mr. Jackson-Agumah said his administration is investing in key social infrastructure. The Assembly has allocated funds for the expansion of the Ahenkro Health Centre, the district’s largest health facility, to reduce pressure on referral hospitals in Kumasi and Offinso.
On revenue mobilisation, the DCE disclosed that the Assembly has introduced several innovative measures to boost internal revenue. These include capacity-building for collectors, transport incentives, and granting local area councils 50 per cent of their own collections to encourage effective mobilisation.
He also announced that the Assembly has so far received GH¢6.6 million from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for the first and second quarters of 2025. These funds are being used to complete inherited projects and initiate new ones, including seven major construction works expected to be awarded soon after a tender committee meeting scheduled for this week.
Part of the Assembly’s internally generated funds has also gone into constructing a mechanised borehole for staff quarters to improve working conditions.
Mr. Jackson-Agumah expressed confidence that his early achievements demonstrate his administration’s commitment to delivering practical, community-focused development, with improved road infrastructure as the foundation for progress across Afigya Kwabre North.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
