BONN TO RESTORE FOSU LAGOON

The city of Bonn, Germany has expressed interest in restoring the deteriorating rate Fosu Lagoon with a grant worth Five hundred thousand Euros.

 

This came to light when the Metropolitan Chief Executive Hon. Anthony Egyir Aikins on behalf of Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding  with the Mayor of the City of Bonn, Germany, Jurgen Nimptsch to assist in the restoration of the Fosu Lagoon.

Under the Climate Change Project, it seeks to restore the Fosu Lagoon as its contribution to climate change adaption and protection of biodiversity. The direct benefit would be on the reclaiming of the Fosu Lagoon,  which is gradually dying from poor environmental and sanitation management practices  coupled with the effects of climate change.

      

Hon. Aikins noted that the signing of the MOU, which marks the consummation of the  partnership,  is to help promote the exchange of experiences  in areas such as sustainable development,  especially climate protection, use of renewable energies, protection and preservation of biological diversity, waste management , tourism, science education, youth and cultural affairs,  in accordance with the principles of equality and mutuality.

    

 In a related development as the Mayor Hon. Aikins claimed it in the Assembly hall on Thursday 29^th march 2012, many projects are going to be, or have already been, set up in Cape Coast in order to foster what he called “Cape Coast's facelift”.

The first project presented is about Fosu Lagoon: the partnership between Cape Coast and Bonn in Germany has granted to the city of Cape Coast to acquire some resources. Indeed, the City Council of Bonn granted five hundred thousand Euros for a Climate Change Programme to restore life in the lagoon.

Then, a group of young German Medical Doctors will come to Cape Coast to build a Children's Hospital, on Efutu area.

The third project is the construction of two Waste to Energy Plants, one of which will be sited in Cape Coast, supported by a partnership with Everbrigth Environment, a Chinese company. Another group based in Italy would also like to establish a Waste to Energy Plant in Cape Coast.

About the Mass Transit Project, the Ministry of Local and Rural Development is trying to eliminate the long queues in the station and to make transport fares affordable.

On the Cement Factory point, Hon. Aikins claimed that “ The Assembly is expecting the Geological Survey Department to conduct feasibility study for a possible construction of a Cement Factory in Ankaful.”

The Assembly is also expecting that the Committee's report about the taxis will increase the revenue and ensure safety on the roads.

In another field, Oguaa Football For Hope Centre (donated by FIFA and facilitated by PlaySoccer Ghana) has been inaugurated in Cape Coast. This project will add to the stock of Cape Coast's infrastructures and it has programmes in Education and Health. This may take young people off the streets and develop their psyche.

Concerning the tourism development, the Assembly is going to make sure Tourism is fully developed, as it is the anchor of Ghana's development. For this project, local investors are collaborating with their foreign counterparts to establish a Slavery Museum in Cape Coast, which will be a major attraction in the tourism industry.

Lastly, he announced that the performance in revenue mobilization is gradually improving. Indeed, between January 1 and February 29, 2012, the Assembly raked in GH₵ 125,325.65 whereas GH₵ 98,693.59 for the same period in 2011. The rate of increase amounts to 26.98 %. The main area of poor performance is revenue from communication operators, and the Assembly is calling for the Ministry of Local Government to solve the impasse between the MMDAs and the Communication operators “for the payment of permit and operational fees”.

Meanwhile Hon. Aikins is appealing Revenue, Finance and Administration Sub-Committees to “plug loopholes in the system as well as strengthen their monitoring and supervisory role to ensure that every pesewa is paid into the Assembly's coffers for the much needed development.”