Hundreds of residents of Akyem Tafo in the Eastern region led by the Chief of Akyem Old Tafo, Osabarima Adusei Peasah IV as well as some thirteen (13) assembly members in the area have hit the street in an effort to pressure government to site the new Municipal Assembly Office at Tafo instead of Kukurantumi.
The demonstrators clad in red and black dresses with read headgear and hand bands hoisted several placards with inscriptions expressing their resentments over the decision to make Kukurantumi the Municipal capital instead of economically viable Akyem New Tafo.
According to them, Akyem Tafo contributes huge revenue and has important state installations such as District Police Headquarters, Hospital, viable market place, ECG district Office, Cocoa Research Institute, Banks among others.
According to the demonstrators, Akyem Tafo is the most populated and developed hence considering all these things, it is only prudent and legally right for the new municipality to have its headquarters in Akyem New Tafo.
This comes after a Legislative Instrument (LI) was laid in Parliament on Thursday November 16, 2017 for the creation of 38 new districts and elevation of others to municipal status.
The Local Government Minister Hajia Halima Mahama said the creation of the new municipalities and districts was to deepen the country’s democratic dispensation and the decentralisation system.
She said there were districts that had grown, with some of them doubling their population, since the start of the district assembly concept in 1988.
Addressing the demonstrators, the Chief of Akyem Old Tafo Osabarima Adusei Peasah IV said some key persons in the area have tried their possible best to draw government’s attention to the anomalies but have been ignored.
He added that he granted permission to the Akyem Tafo Youth Movement and their Assembly Members to embark on the demonstrations till government heed to their concerns.
