The Mfantseman Municipal Assembly has in January this year increased vehicle and market tolls collected in the municipality to enable the assembly continue development project that are ongoing.

Ticket issued to traders for GHp10 previously will now go for GHp 20, taxies and small vehicle drivers who were paying GHp20 previously will now pay GHp 40 daily, whiles big vehicles and Container Car drivers who were paying GHp 40 daily are now to pay GHp 80 respectively.

Some Mercedes 207 bus and Container Car drivers at the Abaadehay Station at Mankessim were okay with the increase but called on the Municipal Assembly to lay pavements blocks at the station to prevent the place from becoming muddy when it rains.

They also asked for the drains to be desilted often and refuse containers placed at vantage areas to prevent littering.

They again complained they were forced to purchase car stickers from Abura/Asebu Kwamankese outlet office because the Mfantseman Assembly outlet Office was always in short supply of the stickers when they went there to purchase.

They added the police often harassed them if the stickers were not embossed on their vehicles and had therefore resorted to purchasing from the above-mentioned assembly.

Taxi and small vehicle drivers at the Esssuehyia and the main stations were asking for the stations to be swept thoroughly every day for refuse that pile up at the stations to be collected to prevent inconvenience caused by its stench.

They are also asking for pavement blocks to be laid to prevent flooding during the raining season.

Traders at the Kwasiadwaso near the Mankessim round about also appealed to toll collectors to be patient with them because when they go for the tolls they may not have made any sales and hence ask them to go later which they refuse and often create misunderstandings.

They again want the market to be maintained and the refuse site near the market to be relocated.

Most drivers at the Saltpond Station were okay with the increase but traders at the market appealed to Environmental Officers to put measures in place to ensure that animals do not destroy their wares and also asked for the installation of an Information Centre at the market so that they would be adequately informed about government business.

WIDOWS AND ORPHANS HONOURED

The Mfantseman East MP, Hon. Kuntu Blankson has organised a special programme for widows and orphans at Essuehyia in the Mfantseman East Municipality on Friday January 1, 2010.

The programme, which was organised in a way of Church Service, brought together many Pastors who preached the word of God to the widows and the orphans specially. The Pastors asked them to be prayerful always and be happy in the Lord.

The MP for the area, Hon. Kuntu Blankson urged the people to pray for him and assured them of good roads and potable water. Some of the leading members of N.D.C. were given certificates for their support in bringing the party to power.

Fifty (50) bags of rice and twenty (20) bails of second hand clothes were given to the widows and the orphans.

Some dignitaries present at the programme were Mfantseman West MP, Hon. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah; Hon. Henry Kweku Hayfron, MCE of Mfantseman, Nana Kwaku Ewusi VII of Abeaze Traditional Area and some Assembly Members of the area were in attendance.

PUBLIC REACTION ON PRESIDENT MILLS’S ONE YEAR IN GOVERNMENT

A cross section of people has expressed their views on President Mills’s one year in government in Mfantseman Municipality. Whiles some think one year is too short a time to assess the government; others are of the view that there should have been massive improvement in the lives of people by now since he promised so.

Some fishermen at Ankaful, a suburb of Saltpond appealed to government to enact a law to barn the use of light in fishing since he promised to do that immediately he assumed office as president. They feared if the practice was not abolished on time it would bring about depletion of the fish stock of the country’s ocean, which would adversely affect fish supply in the country.

Traders at Saltpond and Mankessim Markets also complained of low patronage of their wares and attributed it to increase in fuel prices. They added consumers have resorted to buying in bulk on market days and were calling on the government to maintain the present fuel price for sometime even if the commodity was increased on the world market.

They said, if fuel prices were maintained it would reduce transport fares which would also enable farmers to cart farm produce to market centres which would result in the reduction of cost of food stuffs for consumers to purchase at affordable price.

A civil Servant also thought government should reduce import duties because most consumer goods on the market are imported and hence if the cost of imported goods were reduced it will aid in reduction of goods on the market as well as bring down the high cost of living.

He also felt that payment for the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) should have started in January this year instead of July as stated by government and appealed to government to do something to save the situation.

Some section of the public also held the view that it was too early to assess the government within one year and was of the view that if people would be fair to government, they should assess his one year in Office to that of the previous government comparatively to be able to give a fair judgment.

They were also of the view that the previous government within one year in Office complained of debt which they said resulted in untold hardship on the economy and thus took the country to HIPC.

They also added that president Mills’ government was also facing the same problem of massive debt left by the previous administration and asked Ghanaians to give the president time to solve the debt problem and to put the economy in shape since he was given a four-year term.

An Assembly member said though government was on course, he thought unemployment rate has risen.

He was also not happy with some foot soldiers of the president’s party taking undue advantage of their coming into power to seize public toilets, people cars, beating, maiming and alleged killing of opposition party members.

Some people said they were not happy with sacking of some National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) employees and bringing in members of the NDC because the concept of the previous government in putting the programme in place was not to employ party members but Ghanaians.

They appealed to government to pay the allowances of NYEP employees since most of them are bread winners of their families and hence government should do something about the issue.

They again said most drug stores in the municipality refused to issue out drugs to patients with Health Insurance Subscription forms from hospitals due to non-payment of claims by the Authority.

An opinion leader wanted contracts, which were awarded by the previous government and had been stalled to be continued to ensure their completion, for example road contracts, construction of school blocks, offices and others.

He cautioned that the onset of rains might lead to flooding which may damage them.

In all people were of the view that the government has not done badly in one year but were calling on him to do more to improve the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian.

BY: RUBY NYAMEKYE OFOSUA

JOURNALIST - MFANTSEMAN