PRESS BRIEFING BY THE CHIEFS IN THE ELLEMBELLE

DISTRICT ON THE NEED TO RETAIN THE CURRENT

DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE HON. KWASI BONZOH
 
We, the Chiefs and Queenmothers in the Ellembelle District of the
Western Region would first want to commend His Excellency
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the steady progress of his
second term of office as President of the Republic of Ghana and
wish him overwhelming success in his administration.

Mr. President we remember vividly what you told us as Nananom

of Ellembelle during your visit to Atuabo Gas Processing Plant on
August 24, 2017 on a thank you tour immediately after your
assumption of office. You said and we quote ‘If there a decision
that I do not regret making as President, it is my decision to
appoint the young man Bonzoh K! as the DCE for Ellembelle”. Mr.
President, after four years of working with our DCE, Mr Kwasi
Bonzoh we are here today to vindicate your sound judgment on
that particular appointment as well as commend our DCE Bonzoh
K! for not betraying the confidence you repose in him.  
 
Since his appointment as the Chief Executive of Ellembelle, our
hardworking DCE has demonstrated a commitment to the
development of our District by initiating and completing various
socio-economic infrastructural projects over the past four years
with numerous other projects in progress.
 
Kwasi Bonzoh has been one of our illustrious sons delivering
sustainable development for the improvement of the lives of the
people of the Ellembelle District by working in close collaboration
with traditional authorities, the clergy and faith-based
organisations, the business community, the youth and women
groups while also maintaining meaningful relationships with his
constituents. 
 
As traditional leaders who are directly in touch with the people of
Ellembelle, we can attest to our DCE’s rigorous efforts at pursuing
developmental projects for the Ellembelle District in the areas of
health, tourism, agriculture, education, roads, job creation, the
fight against illegal mining activities, as well as promoting and
improving vocational education in the district.
Mr. President, when at a durbar of Chiefs and people of
Ellembelle at Teleku Bokazo on Tuesday 18th August, 2020 you
boldly cut the sod for the construction of about two hundred and
forty kilometers (240) of road projects initiated by our
hardworking and affable DCE Bonzoh K! many were those who
could not imagine how a mere DCE could initiate, lobby and
secure funding for the construction of 240 km of roads in one
district. Ladies and gentlemen from the press we wish to vouch
as Nananom on behalf of our people that currently, Ellembelle is
benefitting from a simultaneous construction of over 260 km of
various road projects across the length and breadth of the
District. This is unprecedented in the history of road construction
in our District and deserves commendation from us. We are
aware that currently there is no other District in the entire
country with that number kilometers of roads under construction
and we are profoundly grateful for the tireless efforts of both our
DCE and the President for making this possible.

With a strong belief and passion for improving the lives of our
people through education, our DCE has over the last four years
invested heavily in providing infrastructure at all levels of
education from pre-school to the second cycle. In that direction
we are all witnesses to his bold decision to build 12 new school
buildings fully furnished with furniture, ICT laboratories and
offices and staff common room out of which 8 has been
completed and currently in use in the following communities:
Awiebo, Basake, Bomoakpole, Asanta, Salman, Awiaso, Teleku
Bokazo and Ankobra. Another 4 are near completion in
Nvenlesolo, Aiyinase Nyamebekyere, Nzema Akropong, and
Esiama.

At the second cycle level all 6 public SHS, Technical and

Vocational institutions in the District have benefitted from
massive infrastructural projects including the construction of a
Girls Dormitory and Dining Hall at Kikam Technical Institute,
Dining Hall at Esiama SHS, 6-unit classroom block at Bonzoh Kaku
SHS, 6-unit classroom block at Kamgbunli UBAISH SHS, 12-unit
classroom, Boys Dormitory, Girls Dormitory and a 20 seater
washroom and toilet all at Nkroful Agricultural SHS. Under the
leadership of Hon. Bonzoh K! the Charlotte Dolphyne is currently
undergoing a major upgrade in facilities including the construction
of new Boys Dormitory, Girls Dormitory, 10-unit classroom block,
4 fully-equipped ultra-modern workshops, an administration
block and an ICT laboratory.
 
In addition to the above-mentioned projects, Hon. Kwasi Bonzoh
has also been able to complete the construction of the PWD-EDA
Guest house at Azuleloanu, an ultra-modern Fish Market at
Ayinase, a satellite Market at Adubrim, while work is far advanced
on the construction of 2 new markets in Aiyinase and Esiama.

Under water and sanitation, the accomplishments of our DCE

includes the completion of 3 solar-powered mechanized boreholes
in Ampain, Ankobra and AB Bokazo (all currently in use) with
another 5 almost completed at Ngalekpole, Asasetre. Kanokware,
New Bakanta and Kamgbunli. A 12- seater water closet facility
has been completed at Awiebo while over 25 communities are
being provided potable water through the provision of boreholes
fitted with hand pump in communities such as Bobrama, Asemko,
Baku, Tandan, Kamgbunli, Beposo, Pelekpolenu, Atebabo,
Ngabawie, Agbeyieyie, Asasetre Nyamebekyere, Santaso,
Sarpongkrom, Aidoosuazo, Adjei-Obenkrom, Mandugbane among
others.

In the health sector, a modern CHPS compound has been

completed and currently in use at Azuleloanu while another one is
near completion at Aluku. Currently there is also an ongoing
expansion and upgrading of St. Martin de Porres Hospital at
Eikwe from a primary to secondary hospital under a contract
awarded by the Ellembelle District Assembly with funding from
GNPC.

In addition to all these, he also rallied corporate support for the

construction of the Nkroful-Esiama road leading to the birthplace
of the country's First President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which holds
huge potential for tourism. As a result of that construction,
tourists will now be able to easily visit the Kwame Nkrumah
Mausoleum unlike the hustle they previously had to go through to
get to the mausoleum.

All work and no play they say makes jack a dull boy. We believe it
is for this reason that our DCE did not overlook the provision of
recreational facilities in his development agenda. Ladies and
gentlemen from the press this edifice, an ultra-modern
Community Center built by the Assembly for the people of Akoto;
which has served as the venue of today’s event is a major
testament to his vision. A much bigger version of this is also
currently being constructed for the people of Asasetre and
expected to be completed soon.
In the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) our DCE has since
2019 embarked on over 16 security operations using the police,
DISEC and Operation Vanguard leading to the arrest and
prosecution of several galamseyers. Indeed, his uncompromising
stand against galamsey activities in the District made him incur
the wrath of a cross section of the youth which then cost him lots
of votes in certain communities during the 2020 general elections.

Ladies and gentlemen from the foregoing, it is clear that the

current Ellembelle DCE, Hon. Bonzoh K! alias 34 K-WA has
performed creditably well during his first term as DCE. On the
personal level he has exhibited a rare ability and willingness to
work with his political opponents as well as those who share
divergent views and opinions.

It is unfortunate that notwithstanding his sterling performance as

a DCE, the NPP lost both the presidential and parliamentary
elections in Ellembelle during the 2020 elections as a result a
bitter internal party wrangling. From our objective observation,
the DCE who doubled as the NPP parliamentary candidate for the
2020 elections became an unfortunate victim of the in-fighting
within the NPP party and not the cause of it.

It is against this background that we have come together as

Chiefs and Queenmothers representing the good people of
Ellembelle to make this humble but passionate appeal to His
Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to continue to repose
his confidence in Hon. Kwasi Bonzoh and retain him to continue
his good works as our DCE.

We on our part have total confidence in our DCE’s ability to

continue bringing sustainable development, while at the same
time empowering the people of Ellembelle. We say that because
have worked with him and bear witnesses to his good works over
the last 4 years. 
 
Therefore, we the Chiefs and Queenmothers of Ellembelle having
come together with one accord humbly call on the President of
the Republic, to re-appoint our son, Mr Kwasi Bonzoh as the DCE
for Ellembelle for a seamless continuity of the development of the
Ellembelle District.

God bless Ellembelle. God bless Ghana.