Mr Guggisberg Fiagbenu, Assembly Member for the Adidome Central Electoral Area in the Central Tongu District, has expressed concerns over the management of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme in the district.
He said several residents in the electoral area who appeared qualified for the programme felt discouraged due to what they described as a lack of transparency and inadequate information regarding the registration and selection of beneficiaries.
The LEAP programme, implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and decentralised to district assemblies, is aimed at providing financial assistance to extremely poor and vulnerable households.
Mr Fiagbenu said some residents complained that they were unaware of when registration exercises were conducted, adding that improved public education and transparency in the enrolment process would help ensure that deserving beneficiaries were not left out.
Touching on sanitation, the Assembly Member noted that most public toilet facilities within the electoral area were currently non-operational, despite several appeals to the Central Tongu District Assembly to complete and operationalise them.
He said the few functional facilities also required urgent renovation to meet acceptable standards.
Mr Fiagbenu therefore called for intensified public education to encourage households to construct and use toilet facilities, while discouraging open defecation to prevent potential health risks.
On waste management, he explained that Zoomlion Ghana Limited was no longer responsible for cleaning public spaces in the area, particularly the market and the lorry park.
He urged market women and traders to take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness by sweeping under their trading sheds and properly disposing of waste at designated dumping sites before leaving the market each day.
Mr Fiagbenu also appealed to residents to keep dumpster sites clean and support efforts to maintain environmental sanitation in the community.
Addressing security concerns, he said the district police were currently operating without adequate vehicles, which affected their ability to respond effectively to incidents.
He therefore encouraged residents to remain vigilant and to collaborate with the police by reporting suspicious activity to help deter criminal operations, while awaiting government intervention to improve police logistics.
The Assembly Member further urged residents to actively participate in communal labour and comply with the payment of local taxes to the district assembly to support development initiatives in the area.
