The Cape Coast Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Anthony Egyir Aikins, has expressed concern about the unwillingness by some communities to release land for the construction of projects, saying it was the bane of development in the Metropolis.
He said some of the projects including schools and markets that which had been earmarked for construction could still not take off
because land had not been released.
Mr Aikins said this during a two-day inspection tour of on-going projects in some communities in the Metropolis and told newsmen that the Assembly was poised to complete all uncompleted projects either initiated by the former administration or the current one to
facilitate the realization of the “Better Ghana Agenda”.
He said the Assembly was on course and that all on-going projects would be completed particularly in rural Cape Coast.
Among the uncompleted projects were an abattoir started by the previous National Democratic Congress administration in 1999 at
Mpeasem but abandoned.
It is being reconstructed from internally generated funds of the Assembly. A cattle kraal has been built and is ready for use by the
butchers who will soon be moved from their current place at Kotokuraba.
Others are the construction of a police station for the Kotokuraba Central Market, a clinic for the Akotokyir community and the Ghana Micro Project Programme of a three-unit classroom block for University Practices Junior High School.
He said the Metropolis is a beneficiary of five “schools under trees” projects comprising of six-unit classroom blocks being constructed at Dahia, Mpeasem and other deprived communities like
Brabedzi and Efutu Koforidua.
The upgrading of the Efutu Clinic into a health centre is also on-going with a maternity ward under construction.
Mr Aikins also inspected a bridge being constructed at Ekon and an 800-seat Town Hall rehabilitated at the cost of GHC 150,000 which
will be ready for use as soon as seats are fitted within the next month or two.
He inspected some GETFund projects that include a new site for Academy of Christ the King Senior High School, a two-storey 18 unit
classroom block for the Efutu Senior High School, an administration block for Cape Coast School for the Deaf, a 12-unit classroom and dormitories.
Mr Aikins visited the Oguaa Secondary/Technical School at Ekon and
the University Practice Secondary School at Akotokyir near UCC to see the progress of work on ongoing projects including a boys’ dormitory.
He also visited the Regional Hospital which would be upgraded into a teaching hospital with auditoriums, learning centres and a
diagnostic centre.
At the time of the mayor’s visit a quantity surveyor, Mr Albert Tsigbey, said construction works on the diagnostic centre had just began but the learning and recreation centres had been completed awaiting inauguration.