News:
Emmanuel Bedzrah chairman Volta caucus
October 8, 2021
Participants at the 1st Volta Stakeholders Conference, under the auspices of Volta MPs, Held at Ho on October 4, 2021 have agreed to make the stakeholders’ conference a permanent platform for effective engagement on matters of common interest relative to the holistic development of the Volta Region.
The conference aimed at harnessing the resources of the region through effective collaboration between Political Representatives, Chiefs, Business Leaders from the private sector and the Media towards a more realistic development agenda.
Participants also believe the development of the Volta Region should be linked with positive engagement between both elected and appointed political leaders from the region, traditional authorities and the private sector periodically. Such engagements they opined should elevate the discussions above partisan political interests.
Read below the full communiqué:
COMMUNIQUE:
1st Volta Stakeholders Conference Under the Auspices of Volta MPs, Held at Ho on October 4, 2021
The Members of Parliament from the Volta Region in collaboration with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, the Volta Development Forum and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council held its first stakeholders Conference on October 4, 2021 in Ho. The meeting which was held under the auspices of Volta MPs Caucus focused on harnessing the resources of the region through effective collaboration between Political Representatives, Chiefs, Business Leaders from the private sector and the Media towards a more realistic development agenda.
Participants agreed that the stakeholders conference must become a permanent platform for effective engagement on matters of common interest relative to the holistic development of the Volta Region. The conference thus made the following observations:
- The development of the Volta Region is inextricably linked with positive engagement between both elected and appointed political leaders from the region, traditional authorities and the private sector periodically. Such engagements should elevate the discussions above partisan political interests.
- The meeting noted with concern some key projects in the region that needed urgent attention from government. These projects include but not limited to the following; the trunk road from Accra to Ho, the Eastern Corridor Road, retooling of the Ho Teaching Hospital with Equipment and Staff, the operationalization of the Ho Airport as a Sub-Regional Aviation Hub and Aircraft Maintenance Center, expedite work on the abandoned Keta Harbor Project, construct a sea-defense wall at the shoreline from Aflao through Anloga and see to the completion of all abandoned school projects in the Volta Region before new projects are awarded.
- The Eastern Rail Extension Project is not only strategic but a laudable one that must focus on creating employment opportunities for the youth and private sector investors. Funding and operationalization of the rail project should be consultative enough while creating opportunities for indigenous investors who may be interested in participating in the processes.
- Project implementation processes in the Volta Region should involve traditional authorities who are major stakeholders and could provide effective monitoring roles. This will ultimately help in reducing the sad phenomenon of wanton project abandonment across the region.
- Impediments placed at Asikuma and Sogakofe by the Ghana Immigration Service ostensibly looking out for foreigners while land borders are supposed to have been closed are not only affecting free movement of citizens from the region to other parts of the country but are demeaning and discriminatory. This conduct only reminds. Voltarians of apartheid South Africa anytime the people who are made to disembark from their vehicles and trek across these immigration roadblocks on daily basis. Besides, the state of the road at these checkpoints are so deplorable that commuters have no option but to walk in the mud, whenever they disembark at these points for immigration inspections.
- Youth unemployment in the Volta Region deserves urgent attention from all stakeholders as it has become a security threat.
Signed:
- Volta Members of Parliament
- Volta Regional House of Chiefs
- Volta Regional Minister and VRCC
- Volta Development Forum
- Volta GJA
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