In line with one of the Development of the current National Medium Term Development Policy Framework (NMTDPF), ‘Agenda for Jobs, Creating Prosperity and Equal Opportunities for All’, the Assembly hopes to ensure the development of a knowledgeable, well trained, disciplined and healthy human resource in the District with the capacity to drive and sustain both the Public and Private Sector to grow. The key areas of focus as major components under this development dimension are:

i. Education

ii. Health Care

iii. Youth and Sport Development

iv. Manpower Development

v. Population Management

vi. Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

vii. Decent Housing

viii. The protection of the right of the vulnerable , especially Women and Children

ix. People with disability  and  the elderly

x. HIV/AIDS

xi. Skills and entrepreneurial development.

Direction of Growth

Communities in the District along the Asokwa-Cape Coast road.  This has called for the putting up of infrastructure along the road such as satellite markets, schools and health centres towards this direction to attract people. The major problem of land in the District is that most plots are not serviced and lack social amenities such as water, electricity, telecommunication facilities, toilets and waste management facilities.  This makes it difficult to open-up these areas for development

Analysis of the Scalogram

The District plan preparation team selected 10 communities in the district and also selected a basic facilities and infrastructure to determine the functional hierarchy of settlements in the district.  After critical analysis to determine the availability of these facilities in the selected communities, it was realized that, the District capital Asokwa came first followed by Bodwesango and Fumso while Brofoyedru also came fourth. 

One outstanding feature of these 3 communities is that they are all Area Council capitals and two have population threshold less than 5000,only Fumso has a popuationthreshold 5000+.  This shows that area council capital have more basic infrastructure and basic facilities than the remote parts of the district.  The conclusion is that the efforts of the district should be geared towards the remote parts for equitable distribution of resources.

To break the monopoly of over concentration of functions in one community at the detriment of others, policy directions of the plan (2018-2021) would focus on developing other parts of the District to control the migration pattern and serve as growth pole areas thereby attracting the needed investment, making life worth living and minimize the rural-urban drift.

The 2018-2021 Development Plan is expected to improve infrastructural facilities and promote programmes that would facilitate poverty reduction in the lower level towns.

Surface Accessbility to Services

Surface accessibility is the availability of services and infrastructure in a geographical area and the ease   with which people from different locations can enjoy facilities and services in other areas in the District. The level of accessibility is measured in terms of proximity, convenience and economy. This analysis is done to determine whether the services and facilities available are over-utilized or under-utilized. For the purpose of this analysis, the under-listed services which are of much importance and thereby meet the basic needs of the people in the District were selected. They are:

1. Health Services

2. Education Facilities

3. Road

4. Police Services

5. Production and Marketing Centers

6. Post and Telecommunication Services

7. Agricultural Extension Services

8. Banking Services

9. Security Services

ACCESSIBILITY TO POST AND TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

The District has no post office but has a number of petrol and gas filling station located on the Cape Coast Kumasi Highway which serve Asokwa, Fumso and other communities under it. The District can now boast of several telecommunication masts because of the hilly nature of the topography. Apart from the revenue to be accrued from the mast in the form of permit and property rate, the people now enjoy better telecommunication services namely, VODAFON, MTN, TIGO, AIRTEL and GLO.  Electricity and water (Boreholes) can be found in almost all the major settlements.  The provision of more potable water in the smaller communities is ongoing. whilst Fumso has mechanized water system under the management of Water Boards for these facilities.

ACCESSIBILITY TO EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Adansi Asokwa District Assembly is endowed with schools providing education up to Senior High level. Educational facilities are evenly distributed within the District. The district has 58 Kindergarten (KG), 60 Primary schools, 50 Junior High Schools, 1 Senior High School in public schools. Private individuals have established a total of 18 Kindergarten (KG), 17 Primary Schools, 8 Junior High Schools, 1 Senior High School in Private Schools to complement government effort in making education accessible to Adansiman.

Basic Education in the District could thearefore be seen and described as evenly distributed and accessible as all the major towns such as Asokwa, Fumso, Bodwesango, Brofoyeduru, Aboabo No.2 have schools. The only Public Senior High School in the district is located at Bodwesango which has a total student’s population of 1160 with 612 males and 548 females. The number of students admitted to the private senior high school is not encouraging which can be attributed to the introduction of the “Free Senior High School Education”. There are enough teachers at all level of education in the district to meet students demand.

ACCESSIBILITY TO HEALTH FACILITIES

There are nine (9) health facilities in the district. Thus, five (5) Health Centres and four (4) CHPs Compound. There are five (5) additional CHPs compound under construction which when completed would increase the number to fourteen (14). There is no medical Doctor in the district; two (2) Medical Assisstants (Physician Assistant) in the district, eighteen (18)  midwives and eight (8) General nurses in the district. 

Accessibility to District Police Services

Fumso, Hwiremoase, Anhwiaso, Bodwesango and Aboabo are the only settlement that boast of Police Stations.  Asokwa the district capital can only boast of Police post at Hwiremoase.  Adansi North is seeing oversight responsibility. There is the need to provide Police Posts in some of the settlements to ensure peace and order. There are fourteen (14) police personnel in the District. The Police-Citizen ratio stands at 1:5,416.

Accessibility to Agricultural Extension Services

The important role that Agricultural Extension Officers play in the dissemination of information to farmers and the promotion of innovative ways of agricultural production cannot be over emphasized.  The introduction of new breeds of animals to farmers, for increased production, extension services to improve crop yield and technical advice offered to these farmers have contributed to increases in crop and food production. The diversification from the mono-crop farming to non-traditional crops such as sunflower, vegetables which have ready market is geared towards improving farmers’ income and soil fertility. All these have been possible as a result of the help of these extension services.

The problem inherent in this service is the inadequacy of Extension Officers to assist the farmers in the District.  Currently, the District has only thirteen (13) Extension Officers which makes it difficult to offer efficient and effective services.  The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has identified this human resource gap which is affecting agricultural productivity in the District. The few officers left also face the problem of inadequate logistics such as motor bikes to go for regular field inspection and visits. The need to increase the staff strength would be considered and their logistical support provided.  

Accessibility to Road Network

Roads within the District economy are measured to ensure well-functioning and Communication network, which is important for improving the living conditions of the people.  A number of roads traverse the district, linking up the district capital with all parts and other areas of the country. These include the 23 km of asphalted portion between Medoma Ansa.

A number of second class and feeder roads traverse the length and breadth of the district making all areas accessible.The degree to which transport system exerts spatial influence on the district, particularly to economic activities and services cannot be over emphasized.  This serves as a stimulus to the improvement and expansion of agricultural production.  Table1.20 show the major road network and their classification in the district.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N

In terms of communication, the district can be said to have a little below average in the distribution of the national cake.  The following are some of the services provided in the district:

POSTAL SERVICES

The District has no post office which forces the populace within the district to rely on the one at Fomena.

MOBILE TELECOMUNICATION

With the introduction of technology into communication in the country, there has been the emergence of some Telecommunication networks such as MTN, VODAFONE, AIRTEL-TIGO and GLO. However, the District is yet to enjoy all these facilities fully even though, the services of Tigo, MTN, Vodafone and Airtel are being enjoyed by some of the communities like Asokwa, Bodwesango, Fumso etc.

Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)

Adansi Asokwa District Assembly is making progress in the Development of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and is ensuring that information technology gets to all facets of the District development especially in education and health.

In the light of the above, adequate infrastructure will be provided to both basic and the second-cycle schools within the District. Currently the two senior high school in the District both the public and private have ICT centre with internet connected. ICT has the capacity to inform majority of the rural populace who are farmers on improved agricultural technology, health, gender education and security issues.

The current trend of the concentration of ICT centers in the urban centres will be improved with the establishment of information centres in the rural areas to disseminate information on government programmes and governance issues.