Friday, February 29, 2008

DISASTER LOOMS AT EUROPEAN TOWN (PAGE 30)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo

Disaster looms at the fish landing beach at European Town, a suburb of Sekondi in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis, as a result of the very poor environmental conditions prevailing at the beach.
The problem is such that any epidemic outbreak there is likely to be catastrophic due to the level of unhygienic environmental situation at the beach.
Since the area is a fish landing beach, the wholesomeness of fish which is landed there is also threatened.
Waste water from the nearby makeshift wooden houses, kiosks and the European Town community, which is expected to enter the sea, has stagnated at the beach.
Also, the beach is littered with refuse, which attracts scavengers such as vultures, while a number of fishing boats, including disused old boats, are littered all over the place.
An unplanned mini market and drinking spots made from wooden structures have sprung up there and worsened the congestion at the beach.
Some fishmongers have also put up wooden structures at the beach to smoke  fish in, while others have turned the area into their permanent residence.
Some fishermen mend their fishing nets, while others repair their damaged fishing boats in the midst of the dirt.
The environment at the landing beach is polluted to such an extent that if the appropriate solution is not found anytime soon very serious environmental problems could develop at the beach.
The poor environmental condition is a sharp contrast between the Albert Bosomtwe Sam Fishing Harbour, which is adjacent to the landing beach.
When contacted, the Deputy Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, Mr Abdul Karim Hudu, told the Daily Graphic that they had been working with the GPHA to clean the beach.
He said there was a time when the metro environmental health office and the GPHA cut all disused boats into pieces to help clean the beach.
Mr Hudu said people dumped refuse and human excreta into the sea in the night, for the waves to bring them back to the shore.
Also, he said, fishermen buried old fishing nets at the beach.
Mr Hudu said there was a time when the Waste Management Department of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) had to send a big waste container to the beach to collect refuse.
He blamed the attitude of the people in the area for the mess, adding: “We need attitudinal change from people in  the community”.
“The people should help us to arrest those who pollute the environment,” he said.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

ENSURE GOOD FOUNDATION FOR NEW DISTRICTS — JUMAH (PAGE 49)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Shama

The Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah has urged members of the newly created District Assemblies to take strategic decisions that will provide strong foundation for the districts to facilitate the socio-economic development of their communities.
He noted that most of the districts have the required infrastructure and facilities needed for the establishment of the new districts.
However, he said what was needed was the employment of people who were dedicated and were also prepared to work hard to enable the new districts to stand on their feet.
Mr Jumah was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Shama Traditional Area in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis to herald the inauguration of the newly created Shama District Assembly.
According to the deputy minister, the old site of the Shama Senior High School would temporary be used as the offices of the Shama District Assembly.
He stressed that recently the siting of district capitals as well as the appointment of district chief executives had created some problems in the districts.
This, he noted, did not auger well for the newly created districts.
Mr Jumah explained that the creation of the districts was to facilitate the socio-economic development of the communities in the districts which would culminate in the total development of the entire country.
He said the metropolitan, municipal and the district assemblies could now enter into ventures to generate income to supplement the funding of their development projects.
This, he said was unlike some years back when the assemblies were not permitted to venture into any profitable enterprise.
“There is now hope for the future of the people in this country,” he said.
Mr Jumah noted that town planning was a big problem in the districts, which he said  did not auger well for the rapid development of the districts.
He therefore called on the members of the assemblies to take immediate decisions which would ensure the efficient planning of towns in the districts.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports and Member of Parliament for Shama, Mrs Angelina Baiden Amissah said people from the district who qualified should be employed to enable them to stay home and contribute to the development of the district.
She said most of the youth in the district had been employed under the National Youth Employment Programme and were contributing to the development of the areas and also taking good care of their families.
The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah said heads of the decentralised departments of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) were working around the clock for the establishment of such departments for the new Shama District Assembly.
He said the government would provide funds through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) HIPC Fund, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) among others, for the implementation of the various development projects.
“It is our collective responsibility to collect the internally generated funds to supplement funds which the government will allocate to the districts”, he stressed.
The Paramount Chief of the Shama Traditional Area, Nana Kofi Binnah III commended the government for creating a new district for the people in the area.
He called on the people in the area to avoid petty squabbles and unite to ensure the rapid development of the district.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

MINING COMPANY ASSISTS FOUR HEALTH FACILITIES (PAGE 35)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Akyempim

GOLDEN STAR (Wassa Mines) Limited, in collaboration with Project Cure, an international non-governmental organisation, has donated surgical equipment valued at thousands of cedis to four health facilities in the Western and Central regions towards the improvement of health care delivery in those facilities.
The beneficiary facilities were the Twifo Praso District Hospital in the Central Region and the Tarkwa Government Hospital, Atieku and Nsadweso clinics, all in the Western Region.
Making the presentation at Akyempim in the Mpohor Wassa East District, the General Manager of Golden Star (Wassa Mines), Mr Richard Gray, said the donation was the result of the good relationship between the mining company and Project Cure which dated back to many years.
He said during the past years, essential hospital equipment, which could not be used by clinics in the company’s catchment area, were imported and had to be donated to big hospitals in the country.
Mr Gray said the company would now import consumable items which could be used by clinics in its operational area.
“We are doing all these as good corporate citizens to develop and improve the conditions in the communities in our catchment area,” he stated.
The Medical Superintendent of Twifo Praso District Hospital, Dr J.B. Annan, expressed his gratitude to Golden Star and Project Cure for their kind gesture.
He also expressed the hope that health workers in the beneficiary hospitals and clinics would put the surgical equipment to good use.
Nana Damoah advised people who had not registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme to do so for them to also have equal access to good health care.

IMPROVE ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION (PAGE 11)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Tarkwa

The Wassa West District Assembly, which has assumed a municipal status, must work very hard to make all levels of education in the municipality become centres of excellence, the Dean of Students of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Dr Sulemana Alhassan, has advised.
He said already the UMaT had taken the lead, and was ready to collaborate with all schools in the municipality to become centres of excellence.
“When we are able to do this, the Tarkwa township will not rely on mining alone as the sole business, but education will also become a sustainable business enterprise,” he explained.
Dr Alhassan, who is also a Senior Lecturer at the university, was speaking at the inauguration of a reconstituted Board of Governors for the Fiaseman Senior High School at Tarkwa.
He noted that education in Ghana was going through significant metamorphosis, not only in terms of curricular but in general administration as well.
“Indeed, it is becoming increasingly more expensive, competitive and administratively complex,” he said, adding, “We are in an era when funds are not easily available, but student numbers are increasing and students are becoming more intolerant,” he added.
He said this called for putting in place all statutory institutional frameworks to assist the headmaster and his staff to administer the affairs of the school.
Dr Alhassan stressed that the inauguration of the board was heart-warming and must be cherished, since it was very important to ensure the smooth running of the school which was one of the only two renowned senior high schools in Tarkwa.

FIASEMAN SCHOOL BOARD INAUGURATED (PAGE 11)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Tarkwa

A fourteen-member reconstituted Board of Governors for the Fiaseman Senior High School in Tarkwa in the Wassa West District has been inaugurated to ensure efficient administration and good academic performance in the school.
The board will also endeavour to maintain discipline and ensure that resources allocated to the school are used judiciously to promote a congenial atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.
It will also inculcate in the students, moral and academic training in preparation for the world of work.
The Western Regional Director of Education, Mrs Rebecca Efiba Dadzie, who inaugurated the board at Tarkwa, stressed that academic excellence of any school depended to a large extent on discipline.
She, therefore, said it was incumbent on the board members to help the school authorities to maintain a high level of discipline at all times.
“This is because it is only when the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate (WASSCE) results improve that parents will be encouraged to send their children to this school to help increase its enrolment by way of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS),” she said.
Mrs Dadzie stressed that the education of the child was a collective responsibility of the government, parents, communities and other stakeholders in education.
She said it was based on this policy of community participation that the government instituted the concept of Board of Governors for senior high schools and the School Management Committees for basic schools.
The regional director explained that this was in line with the fact that the school, as a public-funded institution, could not operate in isolation from the community in which it was located.
Similarly, she said the activities of the school could not be divorced from the community, the interest of which the school sought to serve.
She said the community might, therefore, impact positively or negatively on the school, depending on the type of relationship existing between them.
 Mrs Dadzie said the selection of board members cut across all shades of opinion in the communities and districts, since the Ghana Education Service (GES) wanted different interest groups to be involved in the running of public educational institutions.
“It is expected that you will bring your rich experiences to bear on your role to help the school attain greater heights during your tenure of office,” she urged them.
The Headmaster of Fiaseman Senior High School, Mr R.D Ainoo, regretted that though the school was selected in the district to be developed and upgraded to a model school, no word had been heard about it.
“We have never been told when the school and, for that matter, Wassa West District will come on board,” he said.
Mr Ainoo was also not happy about the construction of an administration block which had been ongoing since 1996, adding that “for 12 solid years and there is no end in sight”.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

NHIS INCREASES HOSPITAL ATTENDANCE IN WR (PAGE 20)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

THE implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has increased out-patient department (OPD) attendance in health facilities in the Western Region, from 1,324,866 in 2006 to 1,724,606 in 2007.
The OPD visit per capita has also increased significantly from 0.57 per cent in 2006 to 0.72 per cent in 2007.
Besides, the number of pregnant women attending clinic has also shot up from 86,328 to 87,975 in the region.
In addition, Penta Three immunisation of children under 11 months has improved from high coverage of 85,461, representing 92 per cent to 89,707 or 94 per cent.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr A.E. Amoah, announced these at the closing ceremony of a three-day annual performance review meeting of the Western Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Takoradi.
It was on the theme: “Renewing Leadership Commitment for Ghana Health Service Agenda.”
Mr Amoah commended the health workers to improve supervised delivery. He said the government had maintained its commitment to supporting strategies which could improve access to basic health care for the majority of people in the country.
The regional minister said as a result of that, the government had supported the implementation of the NHIS.
Citing the Children’s Ward at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, for example, Mr Amoah said the number of admissions of children between the ages of one and four was 1,590.
He said out of that figure, insured clients were 440, representing 27.7 per cent, while non-insured clients were 1,150 or 72.3 per cent.
Mr Amoah stated that out of a total deaths of 155, two were insured, representing 1.3 per cent, while non-insured were 153 or 98.7 per cent.
He noted that the incidence of malaria accounted for 46.9 per cent of OPD attendance, 38.9 per cent of hospital admissions, and 16.5 per cent of hospital death in the Western Region was still a cause for concern.
He said the poor reception given to clients by some service providers had seriously brought the image of the health sector in the region into disrepute.
The Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr S.D. Anemana, said maternal deaths had decreased from 122 in 2006 to 111 in 2007.
He said 10 per cent of maternal deaths were from malaria, and that the introduction of treated bed nets for pregnant women was to help reduce maternal deaths.
Dr Anemana said the doctor-patient ratio was worsening, while nurse-patient ratio was encouraging.
Dr Anemana said the doctor-patient ratio was one doctor to 9,600 patients in 2005, while in 2007 it was one doctor to 15,000 patients.
“As health managers, you are responsible for ensuring that all staff of the service in this region respect the policies, regulations and procedures of the GHS,” he said.

CEPS EXCEEDS TARGET AT ELUBO (PAGE 20)

STORY: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Elubo

THE Elubo collection point of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has collected import and transit revenues of GH¢
5,054,230 last year.
The amount represents 51 per cent increase over the 2006 revenue collected by the service, and is also the highest since the border was opened in 1986.
Speaking at the end-of-year get-together, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Elubo Collection, Mr Dwomoh Gwirah, said his outfit was able to achieve the feat as a result of several measures put in place.
These included internal vigilance, tax education embarked upon in the year as well as the commitment, dedication and hard work of the personnel at the collection point.
Mr Gwirah also expressed gratitude to the other border operatives for their collaborative, complementary and supportive roles in the revenue collection for 2007.
He said the success came at a time the border faced a lot of challenges, including the unstable political situation in Cote d’Ivoire, which affected cross-border trade, and the energy crisis that Ghana experienced in 2007.
Mr Gwirah stated that his outfit was ready to exceed its revenue target for 2008, and called on traders and operators who plied the border to help them to achieve the service’s objective.
He said the CEPS management had approved funds for the start of work on the proposed car park at the border to facilitate the movement of goods and reduce congestion at the border.
The assistant commissioner reminded the border operatives of the challenges ahead, especially the general election in Cote d’Ivoire, slated for the middle of the year and the country’s general election in December.
He, therefore, called for a continued co-operation and collaboration among the various agencies as “any blemish on the part of one agency would mean equal embarrassment to all.”

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

WOMAN CAUTIONED OVER SALE OF ICED WATER AT T'DI POLY TRAFFIC LIGHT (PAGE 30)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

A Sekondi Magistrate Court has cautioned Madam Enstuah Mensah on a charge of selling ice water at the Takoradi Polytechnic traffic light, disposing of water sachet around the area on Tuesday, February 12, this year.
The magistrate court presided over by Mr Azumah Tsatsu asked Madam Mensah not to sell water in the area.
The fact of the case according to the Prosecutor from the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Environmental Health Department, Mr Anthony Hayford, were that Enstuah Mensah since November 3 2007, the Metropolitan Environmental and Security Departments called on all selling at the traffic light area to desist from loitering around the area.
He said the accused always came to the traffic light area to sell and had refused to take advice, and continued to sell and litter the area with used sachet.

Friday, February 15, 2008

TAKORADI MARKET CIRCLE DETERIORATING (Page 30)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

THE Takoradi Central Market, popularly known as Market Circle, constructed decades back, is fast deteriorating.
The facility, which is the pride of the indigenes of Takoradi, has deteriorated to the extent that something urgent has to be done about it, to forestall any calamity in the near future.
There are cracks in all the concrete railings surrounding the first floor of the market to the extent that some of them are virtually hanging and can fall at any time.
Also, most of the electric wires are exposed and have been left hanging, since the wiring of the market is not the conduit type.
It is, therefore, not strange that the market experienced fire outbreaks last year, resulting in the setting up of an investigative committee. One of the recommendations of the committee was the rewiring of the entire market.
Though the market is not congested, some of the traders have made extensions to their original stalls, thereby making some areas clumsy.
Besides, sanitation in some parts of the market is not the best and many gutters are choked.
These small gutters which are meant to carry waste water from the market to the main drainage system outside the market, are either silted up or choked.
Generally, the Takoradi Central Market has outlived the aims and objectives for which it was constructed and so requires immediate attention.
There is the need to reconstruct the market considering the current increase in population and commercial activities.
The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Works Engineer, Nana Yaw Boateng, told the Daily Graphic that the Western Region was one of the four regions to benefit from the rehabilitation of their major markets.
He explained that in the case of the Takoradi Central Market, the whole facility would be demolished for the construction of a new one.
He said the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) had advertised for consultants and that one out of four who expressed interest had been selected.
Nana Boateng said officials of the assembly had met with the consultants to negotiate on their fees.
He said they had, however, not come to a conclusion, since the consultants had not yet submitted the design and the proposed cost of the project.
The engineer further explained that the consultants’ fees would depend on the design and the estimated cost of the market project.
He added that the site plan of the market had already been given to the consultants for study.
‘’We are sure that within the next three weeks, they will come with the design and the proposed cost of the project to help us determine the fees,” he added.
Nana Boateng said after the submission of the design and the estimated cost of the project, the authorities of SAEMA would analyse them and sign a memorandum of understanding with the consultants for work to start.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

GALAMSEY OPERATORS POLLUTE PRA RIVER (Page 21)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Daboase

ILLEGAL small-scale gold mining operators, known as ‘galamsey’, at the banks of the Pra River, have silted up the water intake point of the river where the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) pumps raw water for treatment and distribution at its Daboase headworks.
The GWCL treats six million gallons of water each day at the Daboase head works in the Mpohor-Wassa East District in the Western Region for distribution to Sekondi/Takoradi.
As a result of that, the company has to hire people to clear the silt from the water’s intake point almost everyday, to prevent the shutdown of the headworks.
Apart from the silting up of the water intake point, the illegal gold miners have also destroyed the water embankment which diverts water from the river to the intake point for pumping to the head works for treatment.
The irony of the situation is that the illegal miners use poisonous chemicals such as mercury to process the gold in the river, and this is likely to pollute the river.
Machines used for the processing of gold were found on the river banks, while the illegal gold miners fled into the bush when they saw newsmen.
A number of people, mostly women, who had been hired by the GWCL, were seen busily de-silting the water intake point to allow enough water to be pumped into the head works for treatment and distribution.
The Regional Principal Chemist of the GWCL, Mr Philip Dwamena-Boateng, stated that the problem started about three years ago, but had since been intensified each year.
He said the activities of the illegal gold miners had disturbed the water as it had made it murky and the GWCL had to use more chemicals to treat the water, “thereby increasing the cost of production”.
Mr Dwamena-Boateng stated that the company was taking steps to monitor the water quality by taking samples for regular analysis to find out the mercury content.
“They are using more chemicals which are likely to pollute the water”, he stressed.
He said the embankment of the river would be reconstructed to store enough water at the intake point.

Monday, February 11, 2008

EDUCATE PUBLIC ON PAYMENT SYSTEMS (Page 28)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

THE President of the  Consumer Association of Ghana, Dr Ferdinand D. Tay,  has stressed the urgent need for extensive public education on the existing government payment system, procedures and requirements, since they are very cumbersome.
He said the Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF) and other private sector organisations should engage government, the Public Utility Regulatory Commission(PURC) and the utility companies to streamline the payment process and find solutions for losses incurred by businesses as a result of poor utility service delivery.
Also, he emphasised that they should establish a transparent payment system with clearly defined steps and time frame which were binding.
Dr Tay was delivering a paper on ‘’Institutionalization of Compensation in Business Dealings in Ghana” for stakeholders of PEF at a meeting in Takoradi.
The programme which was organised by PEF with support of the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) was on the theme ‘’Advocating appropriate compensation scheme in business”.
He said PEF, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department should lead the public education campaign.  
 He noted that  production disruptions due to utility services and undue delays in government payment by government had considerable impact on cost, growth and competitiveness of Ghanaian industries.

COURT COMPLEX FOR SEKONDI/TAKORADI... (Page 11)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Sekondi

The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, has announced the establishment of a court complex in Sekondi/Takoradi to expedite effective administration of justice in the Western Region.
She said the court complex would include a Court of Appeal and commercial court, which is to be established very soon to settle economic disputes.
She said the establishment of the commercial court had become necessary in the wake of the discovery of petroleum in the region and in view of cases that might arise from the transactions in the petroleum products.
Mrs Wood made the announcement when she paid two separate calls on the Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, and the Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia, as part of a day’s working visit to the region.
She said one of the High Courts in Sekondi would be designated as the commercial court, while the Judicial Service was looking for a suitable and a vast land for the complex.
Mrs Wood further announced that two justices of the Court of Appeal were to  be sponsored to read further courses in law and policy so that they could follow issues pertaining to petroleum exploration and production, as well as other related issues.
She said she had identified some young and capable judges of the Court of Appeal to help her in the management of the courts in the regions and that Justices Yaw Apaw and Isaac Duose had been selected to be in charge of the Western Region.
The Chief Justice explained that they would visit the courts to interact with the magistrates and find out their problems.
She stressed that the country had reached a stage where there was the need to establish a Court of Appeal in all the regions to save judges, lawyers and the people from travelling long distances from the regions to Accra to seek redress at the Appeal Court.
Mrs Wood stressed the need for the provision of enough infrastructure, including court buildings and bungalows for the judges, to give them the peace of mind for effective administration of justice in the country.
“Under the laws of Ghana, it is the duty of the District Assemblies to provide courthouses and accommodation for the magistrates,” she explained.
Touching on revenue generation,  she said revenue collection processes in the judiciary were being reviewed and that since 2006 revenue collection had improved.
“Every court in the country is to collect revenue through the banks for the state,” she said.
“In five years’ time people will appreciate the court system, as well as  the administration of justice in the country,” she said with confidence, adding, “I see a great future for the judiciary.”
The Western Regional Minister, Mr A. E. Amoah, noted that justice was very important, since the people needed peace to embark on their infrastructural development.
Nana Kobina Nketsia said it was noteworthy that in the country’s jubilee year also the first time in the history of the country. A woman had been appointed as the Chief Justice.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

DON'T DECLARE SUPPORT FOR ASPIRING MPs PUBLICLY — ANKOMAH (Page 13)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

THE Western Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Owusu Ankomah, has advised constituency executives and polling station chairmen of the party, particularly those in Evalue-Gwira, not to publicly declare their support for any aspiring parliamentary candidate.
He explained that doing that would not augur well for the internal unity and peace of the constituency and the party as a whole.
Nana Owusu Ankomah told the Daily Graphic in a reaction to a report to the effect that all the structures in the Evalue-Gwira Constituency were intact and that most of the 78 polling station chairmen were solidly behind a particular aspirant who had declared the intention to contest the seat on the ticket of the NPP.
He explained that the executives could support a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) but not an aspirant, since it was against the party’s constitution.
“If you are a constituency executive, you cannot declare your support for an aspiring MP,” he stressed.
According to the regional chairman, in 2004 there was a local alliance between the NPP and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in which the NPP decided not to contest the Evalue-Gwira seat and left it to the CPP.
Nana Owusu Ankomah said in this year’s parliamentary election, there was the likelihood that the NPP would field a candidate.
The Evalue-Gwira Constituency Secretary of the NPP, Mr Francis Bob Etsuah, who is said to be the source of the story, explained to the Daily Graphic that a journalist called from Accra and wanted to know the political situation in the constituency.
“I said we had fully prepared for the 2008 elections and that it was certain that the NPP would field a parliamentary candidate,” he explained.
Mr Etsuah said when the journalist asked about the chances of Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku, the Government Spokesperson on Infrastructure, winning the seat, he said her chances were bright.
He said he told the reporter that so far four people had shown interest in contesting the seat on the ticket of the NPP.
He explained that through that, he was trying to let the public be aware of the political situation in the constituency.
He has, meanwhile, apologised to the contestants, supporters and the party as a whole if his interview and subsequent report had not gone well down with any of the affected parties. 

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

SEKONDI NEEDS DEVELOPMENT (Page 20)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Takoradi

SEKONDI was the Western Regional Capital when the region was created out of the Central Region, to become a separate entity in July, 1960.
Until the time that Takoradi was added to it to create a twin-city, Sekondi was and it is still the seat of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, and the location of the regional minister’s residence.
All the ministries, some departments, agencies, the Regional Police Command and the Western Naval Base are located in Sekondi.
But what do we see in terms of development and economic activities? While Takoradi is developing very fast, Sekondi is lagging behind.
So it is not far from wrong if people call for a complete facelift for Sekondi. Sekondi  actually needs a facelift to befit its status as a city or twin-city as well as a regional capital.
Almost all the roads in Takoradi have been reconstructed and tarred, yet only some roads in Sekondi have been improved.
While some old buildings in Takoradi have given way to the construction of big stores and supermarkets, Sekondi is still living on its past glory, as old buildings abound without any renovation.
Touching on commercial activities, business is very brisk in Takoradi while Sekondi seems to be calm in that regard.
While Takoradi can now boast of about 10 commercial banks, Sekondi can boast of only two or three of such banks. Recently, Takoradi has witnessed the opening of more banks, with none for Sekondi, since business there is not flourishing.
Takoradi and its environs have many educational institutions such as senior high schools (SHS) while Sekondi has only about two.
In terms of sanitation, Takoradi appears to be cleaner than Sekondi. This is because while  beaches in Takoradi look clean, some people in Sekondi still defecate indiscriminately, making the beaches unhygienic and stinking.
 The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) announced three years ago that efforts were being made by the assembly and the government to restore Sekondi to its former status as one of the vibrant commercial centres in the country.
According to the assembly, there were plans to expand and renovate the Sekondi Market to attract floating traders at the Takoradi Central Market (Market Circle), and also reconstruct the roads, especially the Essupon-Sekondi road.
The project also includes the construction of an overhead bridge on the main Adiembra-Sekondi road to enhance movement of people and goods to and from the town and boost commercial activities in the metropolis.
Certain parts of Sekondi were also to be turned into tourist attractions, particularly the European Town, which has buildings depicting ancient European architecture. Many of the buildings are to be rehabilitated for that purpose.
The Ghana Tourist Board and SAEMA, in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy, are also expected to rehabilitate Fort Orange, a Dutch Fort in Sekondi.
Other sites to be developed are the “Komfo Asi”, where the statute of a fetish priest and the roundabout where a giant fish formerly stood, while the local railway station is to be turned into a museum.
Although the construction of the Essupon-Sekondi road and the overhead bridge have been completed, others are yet to be done. These include the expansion and renovation of the Sekondi Market and the development of parts of Sekondi into tourist attractions.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, said the assembly had identified those key infrastructure as a contributory factor to the decline of Sekondi.
He said another bridge would be constructed over the Essei Lagoon, and that a contract had been awarded, but work had been suspended and would start after the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Touching on the expansion and renovation of the Sekondi Market, Mr Nkrumah said the government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, had initiated a project to develop a market complex each in all the regional capitals and some selected districts in the country.
He said through the Member of Parliament for the Sekondi, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the Sekondi Market was to benefit from the project.
According to Mr Nkrumah, the consultants had inspected the market and requested for the site plan as well as other relevant information, which the assembly had provided.
“They are working on the designs and hopefully the project will start in the course of the year,” he said.
Concerning the development of European Town, a suburb of Sekondi into tourist attraction, Mr Nkrumah explained that the assembly was working in collaboration with the Ghana Tourist Board to develop the area for that purpose as a result of the unique European architecture, such as those of the Portuguese, Dutch, German and the British.
“We have identified bad road network in the area and have tasked the Department of Urban Roads to improve on the roads,” he explained.
“What we are going to do this year is to restore the old buildings in the area,” the MCE stated, adding, “we are initiating this programme with the owners of the buildings.”
According to Mr Nkrumah, tourist information centres would be established at the European Town and some of the buildings in the area would be turned into museums.
He said Fort Orange was currently being managed by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and that management of the authority was willing to support the project.
“The first Supreme Court building at European Town as well as the old Town Council building are all structures to be renovated,” the MCE stated.
He said “Komfo Asi” and the giant fish statute roundabout formed part of the beautification programme of the SAEMA, adding that the giant fish roundabout would be provided with a fountain as well as streetlights.