HON. MCE INSPECTS A PROPOSED LANDFILL SITE AT SOWODADZEM
As part of efforts to prudently dispose of solid waste in the Jomoro Municipality, the Jomoro Municipal Assembly led by the MCE, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde on 17th January 2024 engaged with the traditional leaders of Sowodazdem to inspect a proposed landfill at Sowodadzem. Addressing the traditional authorities and community members at the community centre, the Hon. MCE held that filth has engulfed the Jomoro Municipality as a result of the high increase in the human population and its associated increase in economic activities causing major environmental problems in the Municipality. She revealed that the unavailability of waste disposal sites in the Municipality has become a major concern to the Assembly hence, the resolve to seek a location where waste collected would be properly disposed of to minimize the possibility of spreading diseases and maximize the rate of decomposition. She urged the traditional leaders to raise awareness among the community members and develop attitudes related to proper waste management to make the community clean. She was accompanied by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Joyce Akosua Angmorteh Miezah, Hon. Ebenezer Paul Angovi, Assemblyman-Elubo West and Hon. Thomas Kwaw, Assemblyman-Sowodadzem
THE OVERALL MUNICIPAL BEST FARMER – 2023
Unlike other youth who migrate from rural areas to seek white-collar jobs in the urban areas, the Municipal Overall Best Farmer moved from the city of Accra where he managed a clothing shop to the village with the intention of farming. His unquenchable thirst for more knowledge in agriculture led him to seek as much information from Agricultural workers and experienced farmers within his community, especially how to artificially pollinate his cocoa to enhance fruiting and now does that for other farmers. The journey was tough and weary but he did not relent in investing the little capital he had saved from his toil in the city and just as the saying perseverance leads to success, he stood tall as the Overall Municipal Best Farmer for the 39th Municipal Farmers’ Day Celebration held @ Tikobo No. 2 on 24th November, 2023. He believes this achievement will encourage the youth to venture into agriculture seriously. His name is Akuffo Addo Solomon from the Anweafutu community. He is a thirty- five (35) year-old teacher married with two (2) children. He has employed Sixteen (16) permanent workers and Thirty-Two (32) casual workers. As part of his corporate social responsibilities, he supports: • market women in his community with soft loans • the needy in his community in cash and in-kind • in fundraising to build Primary and Junior High School Classroom Blocks AYEEKOO!!! TO OUR GALLANT FARMERS AND FISHERMEN. AYEEKOO!!! TO MR. AKUFFO ADDO SOLOMON
WESTERN REGIONAL MINISTER ATTENDS KUNDUM FESTIVAL AT TIAPOUM (COTE D’ IVOIRE)
The Western Regional Minister, Hon. Kwabena Otchere Darko-Mensah on Friday, October 27, 2023, joined the people of Tiapoum in Cote D’Ivoire to celebrate the Kundum festival. He paid a courtesy call to the paramount Chief of the Tiapoum Traditional area, Awulae Kuluchie IV at his palace. The Chief linguist of the Awulae addressing the Regional Minister disclosed that Kundum has lost its unique celebration and as part of frantic efforts by the Awulae to revive it to its past glory, leaders, individuals and groups who have in-depth knowledge about Kundum are invited to polish the celebration to make it more attractive to be able to raise funds for development. He highlighted some challenges Ghanaians in Cote D’Ivoire go through at the Jaway Wharf Border when entering and from Ghana and urged the Minister to help address them. He expressed deep appreciation and thanked him for his consistency in honouring their invitations and urged the Minister to extend invitations to them anytime he organized festivals to enable them to replicate the same gesture in many folds. The Hon. Minister on his part expressed delight for the warm reception he had received from the Awulae. He said his invitation to the Kundum celebration was in order because Nzemas in Ivory Coast and Ghana are one people who share the same cultural values and aspirations irrespective of the artificial border. More so Kundum is celebrated among some communities along the coast of the Western Region, i.e. from Ahanta to Grand Bassam in Ivory Coast, hence as the Minister for the Region, during such festivals it is proper for him to partake in the celebrations. He added that the formation of ECOWAS should have naturally triggered the free movement of people, goods and services but it is rather unfortunate that there are impediments that make it difficult for people and goods to move freely. He pledged to discuss the matter at the cabinet to see how it could be addressed to ensure that the basic human right of free movement enshrined in both country’s constitutions is protected. He said he would extend an invitation to Awulae and his elders during next year’s Kundum celebration and appealed to them to join him in December to celebrate this year’s popular Street Carnival at Sekondi-Takoradi. He urged residents of the community who desire to explore tourist attractions to come to Ghana and visit the Ankasa Forest, Nzulezo silt, Mahaa Beach Resort, Takoradi Mall, etc. and admonished the elders to send the school children and university students to Ghana on excursions to the tourist sites to help deepen the bond and ensure peaceful coexistence. The Regional Minister was accompanied by MMDCE’s Hon. Louisa Iris Arde, Jomoro, Hon. Bonzo Kaku, Ellembele, Hon. Dorcas Amoah, Nzema East, and other NPP officials.
BEGINNING OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOMORO AND ATLANTA
On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde (Municipal Chief Executive) for Jomoro had the opportunity to sit in the council meeting (General Assembly) at Union City. She observed proceedings and had the chance to do a short presentation to sell Ghana and Jomoro to be precise, highlighting the economic opportunities. Tourist attractions like Ankasa Forest Conservation Area and Nzulezo Stilt village were marketed. Prior to her meeting, she had a great discussion with Hon. Mayor Vince Williams and his council members. The message was well received, and we are looking forward to receiving a reciprocal visit in the near future.
JOMORO MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY DONATES DESKS TO THE GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE DIRECTORATE (GES) IN HALF-ASSINI
On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde, Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro, led the assembly to donate six hundred and twenty (620) desks to the Ghana Education Service (GES) directorate in Half-Assini The desks comprised of Five Hundred Dual desks and One Hundred and Twenty Mono desks which will serve a total student population of One Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty (1120) to help reduce the furniture deficit in the Municipality. She urged the directorate to ensure that schools within the Municipality that currently need these furniture are prioritised whilst the Assembly works towards bringing more to solve the problem confronted with by other schools. The education directorate thanked Hon. Louisa Iris Arde for the donation, which they said is timely and would go a long way to help the schools to deal with the furniture challenges they are currently faced with
MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE VISITS BECE EXAMINATION CENTERS
The Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly Hon. Louisa Iris Arde on Monday 7th August 2023 visited Seven (7) out of the Nine (9) Basic Education Certificate Examination Centers (BECE) across the Municipality. She was accompanied by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs. Joyce Akosua Angmorteh Miezah, the Municipal Education Director; Mrs. Edith Mary Hagan and other Municipal Assembly and Education Directorate officials. Data available from the Municipal Education Directorate indicate that a total number of Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-Eight (2,948) candidates made up of Thousand Five Hundred and one (1,501) Boys and Thousand Four Hundred and Forty-Seven (1,447) Girls are writing this year’s BECE. Hon. Louisa Iris Arde encouraged, inspired and wished all the candidates well and admonished them to give out their very best to benefit from the Free Senior High School policy introduced by the government and assured them of her support in their future endeavours.
THE MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE VISITS FLOOD VICTIMS
The Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde on Wednesday 5th July 2023 led the management of the Assembly and officials from Ghana Gas Company Limited to visit residents of Nzulezo who had been affected by the flood to commiserate with the victims. Her visit follows a downpour on 25th June 2023, leaving several homes inundated by flood waters. Addressing the residents, the MCE said she had been touched by the plight of the victims and had embarked on the visit to commiserate with them and to use the opportunity to solicit first-hand information on the havoc caused by the floods and offer support to restore the damaged areas and provide relief items to sustain them in the interim until things get better.
GHANA NATIONAL GAS COMPANY HANDS OVER RENOVATED CLASSROOM BLOCK TO THE MUNICIPAL EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
Ghana National Gas Company has officially handed over a rehabilitated 6-unit classroom Block to the Jomoro Municipal Education Directorate in Half Assini. At a brief ceremony held at Half Assini Catholic School premises to inaugurate the facility, the Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde impelled the school authorities to keep the facility in a pristine stage and pleaded with Ghana Gas to rehabilitate the JHS block which has deteriorated and impeded teaching and learning. Present at the ceremony were Nana Ayebie Amihere, Chief of Half Assini, officials from Ghana Gas led by Mr Joseph Ehoneah, Community Relations Officer, Rev, Nii Noi Dawuna, Local Manager, Mrs Joyce Akosua Angmorteh Miezah, Municipal Coordinating Director, Parents and Teachers of the school.
JOMORO MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY DONATES ROOFING SHEETS TO RE-ROOF AMOAKWASUAZO TEACHERS’ QUARTERS
On the 15th of May, 2023, a rainstorm swept across various communities in the Jomoro Municipality and left a trail of considerable damage to the roof and electrical wirings of Amokwawsuazo Teachers’ Quarters. With a sense of urgency, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde, the Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly, donated 40 pieces of roofing sheets to support the re-roofing of Amokwawsuazo teachers’ quarters. The donation was in response to a clarion call by the headteacher through the Assemblyman to the Municipal Assembly to help re-roof the teachers’ quarters. In handing over the items to the head teacher of the school, the MCE commended the community for initiating the self-help project of putting up a building to accommodate the teachers. She assured them of her readiness to ensure that the teachers get a benefitting accommodation to motivate them to stay and teach the children. In addition, the MCE vouchsafed to pay for the cost of rewiring the building and other costs that would be incurred. The headteacher of the school, Mr Samuel Ebo Asare expressed gratitude to the Assembly for the prompt intervention and urged the Assembly to come to their aid anytime the school called for support.
HANDING OVER OF HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT TO PORT HEALTH OF GHANA HEALTH SERVICE AT ELUBO
On Wednesday, 24th May 2023, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) handed over health infrastructure facilities and equipment to the Port Health Unit at Elubo in the Jomoro Municipality. At a brief ceremony held at Elubo Border to hand over the facilities and equipment, the Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde expressed her delight in witnessing the handing over. She said she believed the facility would go a long way to enhance the capacity of the Port Health Unit to effectively deliver on its mandate. She added that the facilities would help to prevent the infiltration of suspected cases of contagious diseases such as Ebola, Marburg Virus and other infectious diseases and suspected cases would be easily identified and isolated for further diagnoses. Hon. Louisa Iris Arde conveyed gratitude to the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for their facilitating role in making the project a reality and assured that the Municipal Assembly would collaborate with JICA and other development partners to implement more local economic development projects and social intervention programs for the well-being of the people of Jomoro. The MCE drew attention to poor maintenance culture and held that some important national monuments and edifices have become a pale shadow of their former glory due to poor maintenance culture. She urged the Port Health Officials to guide and put the facilities in a pristine state to ensure longevity, enabling them to gather the confidence to ask for more in the future. The facilities include a modern 6-Unit WASH facility for border officials and travellers, a fully furnished prefab isolation centre and solar systems, one ambulance, 12 laptops, tablets, pressure monitors and accessories. In attendance were Dr Gifty Amugi (Dept, Dir. of Public Health-Western Region), Mrs Joyce Akosuah Angmorteh Miezah (Coordinator, Jomoro Municipal Assembly), Kwadwo Wilmot (IOM), Ms Suzuki Momoko (Chief Representative, JICA Ghana Office), Representative from UNDP, Mr Tetsnya Imaoka (Embassy of Japan), Dr Lawrence Lartey (Ghana Health Service), Customs and Immigration Service of Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire, Hon. Ebenezer Paul Angovi (Assemblyman, Elubo West) and Traditional leaders of Elubo