The town hall meeting, held at the Presbyterian Church at Pokrom, was on the theme: “Decentralisation, Accountability and Participatory Development.”

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Paul Osae Offei, said the meeting provided a platform for the Assembly to explain government programmes and receive concerns, suggestions and contributions from residents.

He said decentralisation was intended to bring governance closer to the people and empower them to participate actively in decisions affecting the development of their communities.

Mr Offei stressed that the engagement was not driven by political affiliations and urged residents to put aside their political differences and work together towards the municipality’s development.

Officials from the Education, Security, Health, Fiscal Planning, Agriculture, Right to Information and Planning departments briefed participants on their respective activities, projects and programmes, as well as challenges confronting their sectors.

The MCE expressed concern about the increasing incidence of illegal sand winning in parts of the municipality, warning that the practice was damaging the environment and altering the natural structure and porosity of the soil.

He urged those engaged in the activity to desist from the practice, cautioning that offenders could face legal action.

On development projects, Mr Offei said the Assembly had rehabilitated and completed several facilities while securing additional projects under the government’s Big Push programme.

He said the Assembly placed third among 33 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the District Assemblies Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) assessment.

According to him, the performance had helped the municipality secure additional government funding for development projects, including a health post and a six-unit classroom block.

As part of its legacy projects, Mr Offei said the Assembly had refurbished an abandoned stall facility to be rented to GCB Bank.

He added that a six-unit, two-storey classroom block with two offices had been completed at Aburi Demonstration School, with plans underway for further development.

The MCE also disclosed that a school building at Otopayaw was ready for commissioning, while other completed projects had been handed over to their beneficiary communities.

He reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance, urging residents to remain actively involved in local decision-making and support development initiatives across the municipality.

Some participants who spoke to the Ghana News Agency welcomed the engagement, describing it as an opportunity to bring local governance closer to the people.