Tourism, sanitation top agenda for Asuogyaman DCE

Mr. Godwin Bobobee, District Chief Executive of Asuogyaman, says his development agenda will prioritise sanitation, tourism, education reform, and environmental protection.

“Asuogyaman is largely a tourism and agribusiness hub. If we want to attract more visitors, sanitation must come to the fore,” he said.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Bobobee expressed concern over unregulated settlements along the district’s mountainous areas, which he said were accelerating deforestation and soil erosion.

“With the clearing of vegetation, rainfall causes runoff that carries silt and plastic waste into rivers and roads, damaging infrastructure and raising the risk of floods,” he explained.

Mr. Bobobee noted that the absence of proper storm drains worsened the impact of the 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage.

“We need covered storm drains to reduce siltation, protect our roads, and prevent future flood disasters,” he said.

Given limited funding from the District Assemblies Common Fund, Mr Bobobee said the Assembly was adopting community-driven approaches to address issues.

“If the Assembly can provide materials, cement, sand, iron rods, and the people offer labour, we can complete critical drainage projects together,” he said, while appealing for external support for larger infrastructure needs.

On education, Mr. Bobobee said the Assembly would work with education officials to improve basic schools, including replacing old kindergarten furniture with colourful, child-friendly tables and chairs.

“Education should be attractive and engaging, especially at the foundation level,” he stated.

He proposed establishing Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in senior high schools to better manage disease outbreaks.

“The current sick bays are inadequate. We need well-managed health facilities on campus to prevent the spread of infections to communities and vice versa,” he said.

Mr. Bobobee described Asuogyaman as central to Ghana’s tourism narrative, saying, “You cannot say you have visited Ghana and not visited Asuogyaman. We have all the attractions from the Volta Lake to mountain views and cultural heritage sites.”

He said the district would continue working with private sector actors and traditional leaders to develop eco-friendly tourism and agribusiness projects aligned with the Volta Economic Corridor and Eden Volta initiatives.

“Everything that represents Ghana’s beauty, natural, cultural, and economic is found here. Our goal is to protect it, enhance it, and ensure it benefits the people of Asuogyaman,” he said.

Source: GNA