Category: News

During an engagement in the regional capital, Dambai, key stakeholders discussed inclusive decision-making processes that shape the region’s future.

Addressing participants, the Minister acknowledged the invaluable experience of former MMDCEs, stressing that their collective knowledge could help formulate effective policies and strategies.

He emphasized that leveraging their expertise would contribute to sustainable development and improved living standards for the people of Oti.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a bottom-up development approach, urging active participation from local authorities, community members, and civil society organizations.

He called for renewed partnerships, encouraging former MMDCEs to collaborate in enhancing the region’s development.

Discussions focused on critical issues such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and agriculture. Former MMDCEs shared their experiences and lessons from their tenures, offering insights to inform current and future policies.

They also proposed strategies for maximizing local resources and fostering community engagement in development efforts.

Some MMDCEs expressed appreciation for the minister’s initiative and underscored the need for continued support from the central government to tackle challenges such as unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to quality healthcare.

They pledged their support to ensure effective planning and implementation of development projects.

He continued that without tolerance peace cannot reign, adding that the absence of peace stifles development hence necessary for all and sundry to abide by law to promote peace in the area.

The Regional Minister reiterated the commitment of President John Dramani Mahama to complete the ongoing construction of the agenda 111 hospital at Kpassa which started by the erstwhile government aimed at ensure quality health service delivery in the district.

He said his outfit is poised to oversee the construction of the Kpassa – Nkwanta stretch of the Eastern Corridor road within the region for easy and smooth transportation of goods and service as well as open up the area for business.

“I promised you, we are going to construct the Kpassa roads for easy movement of people, no one can do anything to divert my attention from Kpassa,” he said.

He thanked the traditional leaders, opinion leaders and electorates for believing the message of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and voting massively for the party to secure victory in the just ended general election.

Mr Gyapong, however, disclaimed audio circulating in the mainstream and social media alleging his outfit made tribal and demeaning remarks against Konkombas somewhere last year prior to election.

He said the content of the audio is fabricated and should be treated with the necessary contempt it deserve insisting that he worked with Konkombas within the party for over 32 years and could not suddenly dislike Konkombas as suggested in the purported audio.

For his part the Paramount Chief of Kpassa Traditional Area, Ubor Tassan Konja VI, urged the Minister never to forget Kpassa adding that Kpassa faces several challenges ranging from, water, rural electrification, roads network, health service delivery and security as well as youth unemployment among others.

Ubor Konja VI tasked the Minister to as a matter of urgency collaborate with other stakeholders to solve the perennial water challenge to give the people of Kpassa portable drinking water.

He expressed disapproval for lateness and laziness to work which he believe derails development, adding that his work will continue to enhance the chances of the party in the region.

My work relationship will have nothing to do with you but with the outcome or results of the work done, said the Regional Minister.

He continued that his vision is aimed at developing and changing the face of the Oti Region and reiterated his government’s commitment to bridge the Oti River to open up the region for business and fast-track the economic development.

The Minister charged the management of the Oti Region to adhere to the guidelines attached to the budget allocated to the region or face query or disciplinary sanctions from the government.

Commenting on the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), he indicated that government will make a good use of the programme hence will offer the assemblies the opportunity to open up, rehabilitate roads within their jurisdiction to ease the burden on government and also generate revenue for the region during private commandeering of the equipment.

The management meeting with the Minister also discussed several modalities including how to get investors to build factories to process raw products like cassava among others within the region.

“As a businessman, I am ready to assist the ORCC in any business proposal to the suite of investors,” he noted.

For environmental health, the ORCC staff appealed to pay a critical attention to health challenges and ensure effectiveness. The department will constitute the Oti Regional Environmental Taskforce for environmental health unit as well as reinstituting the spot fine initiative as opportunities that can help in revenue generation.

Although the management lamented of posting officers unduly for their alleged political ground, the Minister assured the staff of not repeating menace but rather focus on working to develop the region.

In his closing remarks, the Minister reiterated that his sole agenda was to make the region attractive and different from the form and shape he met the region.

He encouraged the staff to stay focused and look beyond box to leverage opportunities to help generate funds for the development of the region.

In the attendance of the meeting include; Rev. Harry Nii Kwatei OWOO, Regional Coordinating Director; Frank Abonu, Regional Agric Officer; Prince Latif Oyekumle, Assistant Director I; Madam Janet Sambo, Human Resource Manager (HRM); Cynthia Sekyere, Regional Environmental Health Officer; Amidu Mohammed, Statistics Department, Banyibor Ezekiel Yaw, Public Relations Officer, Samuel Edem Kpeli, MIS Officer as well as other heads of departments in the regional coordinating council.

The Oti regional Minister, honorable Daniel Machator in his speech expressed his gratitude to president Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in him to serve the people of Oti.

The honorable minister also extended his heartfelt appreciation to the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC) members, staff of ORCC and the people of Oti for the unwavering support and cooperation given him during his tenure of office

According to him, he worked to promote development in the region, focusing on education, healthcare and economic growth leading to his comittement to improving the lives of the people in the Oti Region has been evident in the various initiatives and projects accomplished.

Honorable Machator ended his speech by urging the incoming leadership to build on the foundation laid by his government and encouraged the people of Oti to continue working together and collaboratively to drive the region forward.

The Oti Regional Coordinating Director (Chief director) Reverend Harry Nii Kwatei Owoo in his address called on the RCC members to to join hands and work together to end 2024 on high note.

He also enphasised that, unity and teamwork among RCC members, stressing on collective agenda as necessary to the achievement of the council’s goals .

The chief director louded departments that submitted quarterly reports on time, adding that, the achievements were particularly notable if it aligns with the requirements outlined in the Local Government Act, 2016(ACT 936) specifically section 79.

He also said the ORCC is committed to trancparency, accountability and good governance which was driven by the timely submission of reports leading to the principle of effective public administration.

Rev. Harry Nii Kwatei Owoo ended his address by suggesting recognizing the best performing departments will motivate the rest of the departments of ORCC to strive for execelence in their reporting obligations, resulting to improved governance and development in Oti.

 The high table was made of the Oti Regional Minister hon. Daniel Machator, the Oti Regional Coordinating Director Rev. Harry Nii Kwatei Owoo.

The Oti Regional Minister, Daniel Machstor, speaking at the performance contract signing ceremony, described the move as foundational exercise that underscores ORCC’s commitment to excellence in local governance and service delivery.

The event, he said is guided by the mandate of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which establishes a framework for decentralized governance and the effective management of our Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs).

“The performance contracts we sign today serve as a benchmark for accountability, a tool for performance evaluation, and a road map for achieving developmental priorities,” he said.

According to him, performance contracts are not mere formalities but represent a mutual agreement between the leadership of the assemblies and the government to deliver measurable results in key areas such as education, health, infrastructure, and economic development.

“It is essential to address some pressing challenges affecting the effective execution of our mandates. Reports from previous years have revealed instances of underperformance, lack of adherence to key deliverables, and inefficiencies in some assemblies. This situation cannot and will not be allowed to continue,” he noted.

He continued that consequent to the issues of non-performance of assemblies, government has outlined measures, ranging from warnings to potential terminations aimed at fostering accountability and ensuring that all staff and management perform their duties effectively.

Mr Machator urged the Municipal and District Chief Executives and Coordinating Directors not to only go about setting targets but also about inspiring your teams to achieve them.

“ I encourage you to adopt a hands-on approach, ensuring that the priorities outlined in these contracts are effectively translated into actionable outcomes,” he stated.

This, he added the Human Resource Managers also play a pivotal role in this process by implementing robust performance management systems and cultivating a culture of continuous learning, to help address underperformance before it becomes a systemic issue.

For his part, the Chief Director of ORCC, Rev. Harry Nii Kwatei Owoo, recounted how the council had received a circular from the local government directing the council to supervise the signing and submission of the performance contract.

According to him, the essence of the performance contract is for service delivery hence the staff of the local government were employed to ensure efficient service delivery to the public.

Professionalism of the staff of local government,  participation of opinion leaders and other stakeholders which is key in service delivery as well as accountability to the public are the cardinal principles and standards of service delivery.

He urged transparency, efficiency,  effectiveness among staff in the use of the public resources in their line of duty.

To him, it’s not only the signing of the performance contract that is important but the implementation and there is the need for all MDAs to ensure a successful implementation of the document hence the ORCC will not hesitate to punish any MDA or staff that fails to performance in their discharge of mandate.

Rev. Owoo continued that client focus is also another standard of the Local Governance and there is the need for all the clients unit of the MDAs are effectively functional.

Financial management and reporting,  human resources management in terms of recruitment, posting among others as well as social service and local economic activities are key in the performance contract.

Rev. Owoo however charged the management of various assemblies to comply with the indicators in the performance contract and incorporate same in their performance contract document.

The three important planning documents under review, he said include the zoning guidelines and planning standards, the manual for the preparation of spatial planning and the new planning model to guide spatial planning practice in the country published under the Town and Country Planning Department in 2011.

These, he mentioned was guided by the town and country planning ordinance Act 1945 (CAP 84) and the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462) which have been repealed following the enactment of the land used and spatial planning Act 2016 (Act 925) and Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936); hence the need to review the documents to align with the current Land Use and Spatial Planning legislation to make them more relevant.

Rev. Owoo indicated that the review of the documents will give opportunity to update the spatial planning documents with current standards and development trends by the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) and other stakeholders.

The ORCC, he added is mandated to provide for sustainable development of land and human settlements through a decentralized planning system to ensure judicious use of land in order to create an enabling environment for District Assemblies to better perform the spatial planning and human settlements management functions within the Region.

This, he noted the Regional Spatial Planning Committee was inaugurated and set into motion on 20th August 2020, this was followed by the inauguration of all the District Spatial Planning Committees in October 2020.

He lamented the inability of the Regional Spatial Planning Committee to meet regularly due to financial challenges but had chocked significant successes.   “These include; the preparation of a Local Plan on a 250 acres land donated by the chiefs during the inauguration of this region. Major infrastructural developments are ongoing there under guides of this plan,” he noted.

“It is also worth noting that under the direction of the Regional LUSPA, the RSPC had been able to prepare a draft Structure Plan (SP) for Jasikan, Biakoye, Krachi East, and Nkwanta South. Plans are also under way to replicate it in the remaining five Districts. A proposal has also been done to prepare the regional Spatial Development Framework (SDF) by December 2025,” he said.

For his part, GIZ technical advisor for PAIRED programme, Robert Obenyah, believes the technical workshop marks a significant step toward achieving collective goals thus, providing a platform for knowledge exchange, and innovative solutions that will drive the refinement of our spatial planning systems.

“PAIReD cooperates with public institutions at the national level as well as 60 MMDAs across all 16 regions of Ghana to employ good governance principles that contribute to sustainable development as well as create an environment that improves the lives of Ghanaians,” he stated.

PAIReD works in five areas of intervention by improving the domestic revenue system, strengthening expenditure management according to development plans, fostering land-use planning, fighting corruption and illicit financial flows and strengthening capacities of media and civil society for accountability.

“By working together, we can address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, ensuring that our spatial planning frameworks are not only effective but also resilient and adaptable,” he said

GIZ PAIReD,he said stands firmly committed to supporting the revision process that serves the interest of the state actors represented here, who depend on these documents to provide services to the citizenry. “We believe that through open dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaborative effort, we can ensure that Ghana’s spatial planning framework continues to propel the nation towards a sustainable and prosperous future,” he noted.

He encouraged all security personnel present to reflect on the significance of peace and stability to the development of our dear nation and offer prayers for its sustenance.

The Honorable Minister reminded officers and men of the security services that their duty is to ensure that all Ghanaians—regardless of political affiliation—exercise their democratic rights in an environment that is peaceful, safe, and free from intimidation.

Commanding Officer (CO), 66 Artillery Regiment (66 Arty Regt) – Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Jalali Din Ibrahim, mentioned that the gathering signified the Security Services’ collective commitment to ensuring peace, unity and stability in the country.

He made the statement when addressing the audience during the regional launch of the DRIP initiative in Dambai, the capital of the region.

“The programme is expected to create direct jobs, stimulate local economic development and reduce post-harvest losses since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to the market and improve general service delivery across the country,” he said.

Distribution

Mr Machator mentioned that under the DRIP initiative, every Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies within the region will receive equipment such as Shackman Dump truck, Backhoe, Concrete Mixer, Roller, Bulldozer and Motor Grader among others.

The equipment, he said were procured by the government in collaboration with J. A Plant Pool to improve the road network across the country.

This, he said J A Plant Pool is expected to play a key role in providing maintenance support to the Assemblies unlike other models in the past.

Accountability

“To ensure there is efficiency and value for money for the MDAs in particular and the state as a whole, every MDA is required to submit a management committee for the equipment to eliminate completely the misuse of the machines. I would like to urge all traditional leaders to take keen interest in what happens to these machines,” he stated.

Mr Machator charged the MDAs to ensure proper usage of the equipment for the intended purpose and demanded for a good maintenance culture by the managers or engineers of the machines across the region.

“Permit me to indicate that the DRIP is the President’s initiative with the aim of enhancing the country’s road network by decentralizing road infrastructure development to the MMDAs,” he said.

He cautioned MDCEs and other stakeholders against the use of the machines for their personal gains, adding that government will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with the perpetrators if caught in the act.

For his part, the Oti Regional Coordinator for J. A Pool, Abdulai Safian, said the project is expected to create over 5,000 jobs nationwide for the benefit of the citizenry.

He added that the about 32 mobile service vans have been deployed across the country to provide a 24/7 maintenance for the equipment.

According to him, as part of J. A Pool’s mandate, it seek to install tracking devices on the machines to ensure its effective usage and fuel management.

Personalities present were Oti Reginal Minister, all the nine MDCEs, Regional NPP Party Executives, the Chiefs, Regional and Municipal heads of departments.

He sought prayers and the support of all traditional authorities in the performance of his duties as Minister for the Oti Region and stated his tolerance for constructive criticism and their counsel.

His team visited some ongoing and completed projects in these Assemblies to inspect the progress of work. He assured them of the government’s resolve to complete and commission most of the projects by December so they could be put to use.

Accompanying him on the tour were Hon. Janet Emefa Adibo, DCE for Guan, Mrs. Elizabeth Anim Adjornor, MCE for Jasikan, Mr Evans Yaw Dapaah, Regional Chairman for the NPP, Mr. Jonathan Akpabeh, Regional Secretary, NPP among others.

According to the Minister, although the referral health facilities in the region are far apart from each other, the advanced emergency life-support ambulance service will help provide medical care to the patients on or before treatment.

Hon. Machator opined that advanced life-support ambulance will be needed when the routine ambulances picked case from the hospital and the condition of the patient worsen while on transit.

To him, already there are some ambulances in the region and to receive the Advanced Life Support Ambulance will serve as a backup to the emergency service delivery.

“There are cases and the conditions of the cases are above the old ambulances. We have the kind of care that is supposed to be given to them. Those people could be transferred into this ambulance and then ferried or taking to the next health facility or wherever the person has been recommended to be taken,” he noted.

Hon. Machator reiterated the commitment of the President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led government to continue to prioritise health and the general well-being of the citizenry.

He encouraged the personnel of the ambulance service in the region to inculcate a good maintenance culture to ensure the vehicle serves its intended purpose.

“Whenever it is due for servicing, you should ensure that is actually service and whatever help or assistance that you will require, just mention to us. If it is within our means, we will do our best to help you so that the car will be kept at 100% efficiency always so that it will help in saving lives of the people of Oti region,” he stated.

For his part, Oti Regional Administration Manager and Principal Advanced Emergency Medical Technologist, Doku Joshua Amarh, said although the old ambulances were brought in by the government introduced 2020 to take care of the people but distances are far apart and there are situations whereby it picks a case, the condition of the place case will change and they will need advanced care.

The personnel, he said will be able to initiate peripheral intravenous lines in unconscious patients; maintain peripheral intravenous lines as well as initiate saline or similar locks in unconscious patients and draw peripheral blood specimens; insert an uncuffed pharyngeal airway device in the practice of airway maintenance.

This, he said will maintain during transport any intravenous medication infusions or other procedures which were initiated in a medical facility, if clear and understandable written instructions for such maintenance have been provided by the physician at the sending medical facility;

Perform electrocardiographic rhythm interpretation of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, pulseless electrical activity, and asystole; and perform cardiac defibrillation with a manual defibrillator among other functions.

Accompanied by her management team, she paid a courtesy call to the office of the minister and sought the blessings of the Regional Coordinating Council as she embarks on a journey to bring the coveted crown to our region for the first time.

Hon. Daniel Machator pledged his unflinching support to her and promised to play an active role in ensuring her success at the pageant. He encouraged her to always endeavor to showcase the beautiful culture, market the economic potential and tourist attractions of our beloved Oti Region in all her performances.

Above are the pictures.

This marks a significant milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to ascertain the Mineral Estimation on the Gyamlome -Wawaso Block.

It was refreshing to be taken through the exploration process on the exploration pad as His team had the opportunity to see and feel the raw ore deposits to be taken to the lab for further and necessary assessments.

The Regional Minister earlier attended a durbar of chiefs and people of Gyamlome during which He implored the exploration company to make use of the Community Liaison Committee that had been set up to promote engagement between the community, the project team, and other stakeholders.

Hon. Daniel Machator assured community members that the government would prioritize their welfare throughout the process and would only promote collaborations that would ensure the development of the community.

Above are the pictures.

Hon. Asenso also stated that plans were underway to get contractors back to the site on the Nkwanta-Dambai and the Borae-Chinderi stretches.

He mentioned that the government of President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr. Bawumia has been instrumental in advancing road construction in the Oti Region and remains fully committed to doing even more to promote the general economic well-being and development of the people. The Hon. Minister Daniel Machator appealed to Hon. Asenso to fast-track those road projects to alleviate the hardships faced by commuters, reduce travel time, and boost economic activities.

She ended her speech by appealing to the constituents of Nkwanta North to vote for His Excellency  Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Ben Nador coming 2024 general election to continue the good work the New Patriotic Party is doing.

The Nkwanta North District Health Director who received the donation in his remarks thanked Her Excellency Hajia Samira Bawumia for the donation and also lamented the poor condition of health service delivery in the district due to lack of medical supplies.

He ended his remarks by appealing to both international and local NGOs, individuals and government to help improve the current health service delivery in Nkwanta North District in their own way. 

In his address, Hon. Minister encouraged the youth to always be prepared in mind and spirit to take up the leadership mantle from the older generations. This could only see the light of day if the next generation achieved high educational standards and the right certifications that would make them fit for purpose change-makers our society needs.

He enumerated a host of infrastructural projects the government had initiated and completed and others currently ongoing in the Krachi West Municipality and the Oti Region. He asked for their continued support and prayers for the government as we work tirelessly in making Oti Region the go-to destination for investors and tourists.

He presented a handsome donation from HE. Dr. Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia to the Association to support their activities.