By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA
Gwira (WR), Aug. 25, GNA - Four farming communities in the Gwira area in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region have been connected to the National Grid to improve economic activities and propel rural businesses.
The communities are: Gwira Eshiem, Gwira Brodiem, Gwira Wiawso and Gwira Tumentu.
Mr William Owuraku Aidoo, the Deputy Minister for Energy who officially switched on the button to connect the communities to electricity stated that the government was poised to link up rural communities without electricity to the national grid for more productive lifestyles.
He indicated that it was the plan of the government to connect about 1,200 remote communities in the country to the national grid and urged against illegal connections since it was a crime to do so.
The Gwira area in the Nzema East Municipality have over the years lagged behind in terms of social interventions such as electricity and potable water aside a very deplorable untarred road network making life and living rather difficult.
Mr Aidoo promised that the government was working hard to connect all adjoining communities left onto the national grid and said, “we believe access to electricity is a cardinal tool for development and it would bring along not only economic activities but enhance access to information technology.”
He admonished the constituents of Evalue-Ajomo-Gwira to continue to support the current government and the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Catherine Afeku to enable them to enjoy more development projects in the area.
For her part, Mrs. Catherine Afeku the Member of Parliament, indicated that most of the communities in the Gwira area have never enjoyed electricity until now and urged the people to be grateful to the current government for connecting electricity to some area.
She said jobs would be created and economic activities would boom now that there was electricity in the communities, “the initiative is part of government’s commitment to improve livelihoods in rural areas…. I hope that the next budget would capture the construction of the Gwira roads".
The Member of Parliament referred to the bad nature of the road, particularly from Simpa Junction to Gwira Eshiem and indicated that she had discussions with the Sector Minister and that the Minister showed commitment to consider it anytime soon.
“The current President has visited the Gwira area on three consecutive times and knows the area very well. He knows our roads are not good and had vowed to help fix the roads”, she added.
“We are also planning to create a cocoa district in Gwira Ayinase since most of you are cocoa farmers to enable us get cocoa roads.”
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Frank Okpeyen said electricity was key to business growth and urged the people to make good use of the facility and in engage trades like hairdressing, iced water and block or operate cold stores.
He also encouraged them to continue to have faith in the government and the MP and promised that before 2020, the roads in the area would see bitumen on the surface.
Awulae Agama Tu Gyan II, Paramount Chief of Gwira Traditional Area applauded the government for the electricity project, “we've been in darkness for long so we are happy today to see the light”.
The Chief however, called for something urgent to be done about the roads and also called for the opening of a substation at Gwira Aiyinase for easy payment of bills and meters.
GNA
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