Poverty levels assessed in Greater Accra

Page 15, June 20, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Ghana Parliamentary Committee Support Project (GPCSP), in partnership with Parliament, has undertaken monitoring visits to a number of communities in the Greater Accra Region to assess the level of poverty in those areas.
Selected members of six parliamentary committees took part in the visits, which took them to such communities as Bortianor, James Town and Agbogloshie.
The GPSCP is a collaboration between the Canadian Parliamentary Centre, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and Parliament to support the work of committees of the House to operate efficiently.
The phenomenon of urban poverty in the country is amply exemplified among the coastal fishing communities in the Greater Region.
The homelessness of head porters “kayaye” in the business district of Accra and around the Zongos such as Nima-Mamobi community is quite visible.
Understanding the issue of poverty and its new characteristics, as it moves from rural to the urban areas, with the increasing wave of migration, has therefore become a major concern for policy makers.
It is in the light of this that the leadership of Parliament suggested to the Parliamentary Centre, through the GPCSP, to work with a cross-session of communities on the issue of urban poverty to help inform the House as it continues to address poverty reduction in its work.
According to the Information Research Co-ordinator of the Parliamentary Centre, Mr Adam Fuseini, said about GH¢24,000 is being spent on the poverty assessment programme.
During one of such visits to Bortianor, the selected members of the six committees held discussions with the chiefs and people of the village and toured the community to interact with the people.
The Chief of the village, Nii Ogbamey Ankonam I, appealed for the establishment of a senior high school (SHS) and a vocational training institute in the area to provide employment skills for the youth.
He also called for provision of a mini harbour and storage facility to enable the fishermen in the area to preserve their catch.
Nii Ankonam I told the visiting MPs that a clinic built in the community about 13 years ago is yet to be in operation, and called for measures to provide health workers for the clinic.
The leader of the delegation and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Mr E.T. Mensah, educated the community on the work of MPs and the use of their share of the Common Fund.
He stated that amount allocated to MPs was only to solve small problems facing their constituents and not meant for projects that would require huge sums of money.
Mr Mensah said it was the responsibility of district assemblies, where the bulk of the Common Fund was sent, to provide the needed amenities of the communities in their respective areas.
He, therefore, asked the people to constantly liaise with their district assemblies, through their assembly member, for the provision of social amenities.
Schoolchildren interviewed called for the provision of teachers’ quarters in the community to entice qualified teachers to accept posting and stay in the community to offer their best to improve standard of education.