GRi in Parliament 19 – 03 - 2003
Wumbei takes up the Wuensi seat in Parliament
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 March 2003- The towns of Yeji, Komkompe and Amantin in the Atebubu District
of the Brong Ahafo Region are to benefit from the provision of pipe-borne water
under the Small Towns component of the Community Water and Sanitation Project
(CWSP).
The Government in
conjunction with the World Bank has since 1994 been financing the CWSP in the
Region with an aim of introducing the concept of community ownership and
management of water and sanitation facilities.
Yaw Barimah, Minister
of Works and Housing said this on Tuesday in Parliament when Alhaji Amadu Ali,
NDC- Atebubu South on behalf of David Yaw Mensah, NDC- Atebubu North asked what
plans the Ministry has to provide the township of Yeji with pipe borne water.
He said the first
project ended in 1999 and the second was launched in 2000 to be implemented in
three phases over a ten-year period. The objective of the first phase is to
increase service coverage and achieve effective and sustained use of improved
water and sanitation services in rural communities and small towns in the Brong
Ahafo, Ashanti, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Barimah said
financial proposals are being evaluated and it is expected that by the end of
this month, the contract for consultancy services would be signed while designs
would be completed in mid-July this year and the project put on tender for
construction to begin.
Alhaji Ali asked the
Minister whether communities such as Sawaba and Number One near Yeji would also
benefit from the project in view of the high guinea-worm cases, and the
Minister said the area would benefit from another programme with assistance
from the Ministry of Health.
GRi.../
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 March 2003- The Ministry of Works and Housing has embarked on the
replacement of the weak concrete side slabs of the Nima drain and educate the
residents against the dumping of refuse or solid waste into the drain.
A long-term solution
is being considered by the ministry for general replacement of the existing
weakened trapezoidal drain with a 'rectangular reinforced concrete drain to
have a higher carrying capacity with resistance to earth pressures from
buildings on the banks of the drain'.
Yaw Barimah, Minister
of Works and Housing was on Tuesday answering questions in Parliament when Dr
William Boakye Akoto, NPP- Birim North on behalf of Nii Adu Daku Mante, NPP-
Klottey Korle.
The member wanted to
know what remedial steps the Ministry has put in place to prevent the
continuous damage by floods to the concrete walls of the drain that carries the
Nima stream into the Odaw river at Kwame Nkrumah Circle through Asylum Down in
Accra.
The Minister said the
Hydrological Services department of the Ministry has produced a design for
replacement of the marginally reinforced concrete sidewalls. The Accra
Metropolitan Roads Department is executing the re-construction of the damaged sidewalls
according to the design and specifications produced.
Barimah said the
drain was constructed about 30 years ago and the side-wall has thus been
weakened with time while it carries a considerable volume of solid waste that
tends to block the inlets to the underground section of the drain leading to
backwater and exertion of pressure on the already weakened side slabs.
He said the erection
of buildings on the banks of the drain also exert considerable earth pressure
on the weakened side slabs of the drain rendering them more susceptible to
failure.
Dr Akoto asked
whether the ministry was considering covering the drains to prevent the dumping
of solid waste and the Minister said when the complete replacement is
undertaken the idea would be considered.
GRi.../
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra)
19 March 2003- The member-elect for Wulensi Constituency, Wumbei K. Karimu took
his seat in Parliament on Tuesday. The new member won the last by-election held
on 4 March 2003 by 8,552 votes beating his main rival, National Democratic
Congress (NDC) candidate John Sadaan Njigur, who had 7,444 votes.
The seat was declared
vacant following the disqualification of the former MP, Samuel Nyimakan by a
Tamale High Court. Freddy Blay, First Deputy Speaker, who presided,
administered the oath of the MP.
Karimu wore a
blue-and-white-stripped batakari with a cream cap and was led to his seat by
the Marshall. Some of the members
hugged him to his seat, which is among those down the right isle.
The new member shared
the row with fellow new members who also made their entry through by-elections.
Dominic Nitiwol replaced Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas who resigned his Bimbila seat
to take up the post of Secretary-General of Ecowas and Yaw Baah, who won in
Kumawu after the death of Bosoa.
GRi.../
Send your comments to
viewpoint@ghanareview.com