The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on 5th July 2023 held its first Regional Coordinating Council meeting.

The Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) meeting which is schedule to last for two days is a statutory meeting of members of the RCC, including MMDCEs, PMs, chiefs, Heads of Departments, with the Regional Minister as Chairman and the Regional Coordinating Director as secretary. 

In an address to the house the Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah indicated that “the Regional Co-ordinating Council, during the second quarter of the year, called on five (5) Embassies to establish mutual co-operation between them and the Ashanti Region”. 

The embassies visited were the Indian High Commission, Chinese Embassy, American Embassy, German Embassy, and Israeli Embassy. Discussions according to the Regional Minister bordered on co-operation in businesses, agriculture, tourism, education, and health. Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah reported to the house that some positive follow ups have been made and in due course, details of the programmes will be shared.

Sustainable, Cleaning, Greening and Beautification of Ashanti project

Updating the house on the Sustainable, Cleaning, Greening and Beautification of Ashanti project, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah noted that the Regional Co-ordinating Council in 2021, relaunched the Project which is being implemented in collaboration with Zoomlion Company Limited and being piloted in thirteen (13) Assemblies within the Greater Kumasi area. Currently the second phase of the project is ongoing under the cleaning and greening component. In all, five thousand (5,000) royal palm trees are being planted in the medians of the ceremonial streets of the city. These tree seedlings are being caged to prevent destruction by animals and pedestrians. The medians and road shoulders are also being cleared of sand and weeds that have accumulated over the period. The beautification component which will involve the painting of medians and curbs of the ceremonial routes will start soon. 

Roads

According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the total number of engineered feeder road in the region currently stands at 4,018.32km, with 767.16km partially engineered and 767.1km un-engineered. As at June 2023, a total of 552.28km of roads have been upgraded to bitumen surfacing which represent an increase over the 538.06km of roads reported as upgraded at the last meeting in December 2022. 

Under highway, the house was informed that there are five new projects awarded in the region namely, the rehabilitation of Ejisu-Kumawu-Woraso road, Abrepo-Barekese-Offinso road, upgrading of Kofiase-Anyinasu road, upgrading of Atimatim town roads Lots 1 and 2.  

According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the region has thirteen (13) ongoing active projects with eight completed projects including the Kodie Aduman road, the bituminous surfacing of Konongo New site roads, and the upgrading of Asankare-Krofa-Juansa road and the Krofa-Brantuokrom-Magyeda road.

Under Urban Roads, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah announced to the house that the Kumasi Inner City Roads is ongoing. This involves the rehabilitation of 100km of urban roads within eight (8) selected Assemblies which are KMA, Asokwa, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, Suame, Old Tafo, Asante Mampong and Effiduase/Asokore. The project is being undertaken by Messrs Synohydro Corporation Ltd., under the Synohydro Master Facility. The Minister added that permanent works commenced last year and over 50 km of drainage structures have been executed within six (6) Assembly areas as at the end of the year 2022. Works on this project have however been suspended since the beginning of the year due to economic challenges. He expressed the hope that the project would resume after the necessary negotiations have been completed with development partners.

'The Suame Interchange and Complimentary Project, which is being executed by Messrs Rango Construction Company Ltd is also ongoing according to the project schedule', he added.

The two days RCC meeting also saw presentations being made by Regional heads such as ECG, health, roads, GRA among others. This according to the Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway who is also the secretary to the council is very important since it affords the council to be abreast of happening within those areas as well as seek clarification in case any member of the RCC has issues from those sectors.

Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaw Boamah