<<Print>>

TENSION IS gradually mounting at Akobima in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region over the construction of a GH� 70,000 clinic in the area. The construction of the clinic on Thursday compelled the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Mfantseman, Kwaku Hayfron, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) chairman of Mfantseman, one Mr. Moore and his entourage, to transport suspected machomen to intimidate the people who were against the construction of the clinic. The small town will soon get two clinics as residents have put up one, which is at lintel level, while district is trying to put up another one. The people disagree with the construction of another clinic because they claim the NDC could have used the money to construct a teacher�s quarters for the town. The MCE however insists that the NDC government can only construct an additional clinic for them. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE on Thursday, the spokesperson for the town, Kwabena Mantey Otoo, said the town had no clinic, a situation which compelled them to access health care at Dominase. He said in 2009, the then medical assistant at the Dominase Hospital advised the people of Akobima to build a health facility in the area to serve the neighbourhood and promised to provide them with a new medical officer to manage the facility. He indicated that fortunately for them, some natives of the area based outside Ghana decided to construct one clinic for them in memory of their mother who was a nurse, a situation which compelled them to opt for a building plan from the Municipal Assembly. Mr. Mantey Otoo hinted that the natives promised to provide medical equipment while the residents provided communal labour. He added that in January this year, they started constructing the clinic, which is now at lintel level and is expected to be completed this year to serve communities such as Akropon, Achiase, Dwendamba, Ohenkwaa and Kwakrom, all in Akobima electoral area in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese (AAK) and Abeadze traditional area. The spokesperson stated that on Thursday, NDC macho men, together with the Public Works Department (PWD) regional engineer, a consultant and the MCE, stormed the town to inform them that NDC government was also going to build a clinic for them whether they liked it or not. The macho men, who were furious, insulted the people in the area without any reason and threatened to beat them up if they spoke ill of the government�s decision. �Projects are not supposed to be forced on people so if the NDC want to bring a project that will not benefit the people, the people have the right to tell government to change,� he said. �My sister could you believe that we don�t have teachers� quarters here. The assemblyman has to accommodate teachers who are transferred to this area in his house. There is no toilet facility in this area and this has compelled people to defecate behind people�s houses,� he added. He said although the people in the area would not be charged for the health care provided when the clinic being constructed by the natives abroad was completed, the NDC was politicising the construction, saying only the NPP sympathisers would benefit from the clinic. The people have therefore called on the Local Government Ministry to change the project to a teacher�s quarters since the MCE and his entourage had selected a new place to construct the clinic. Attempts to speak to the MCE failed.