The Akyem Swedru Youth Association (ASYA) has commended the government on the creation of the Birim South District and locating the capital at Akyem Swedru. The Association said the town really deserved the status of a district capital and urged the government to ignore calls from some quarters to relocate the capital to Akyem Achiase. This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Yaw Tweneboah, and Mr Appiah Agyemang, chairman and secretary respectively of the association and Mr Kwadwo Oware an Executive member of the association, Mr Ambose Atobrah and Mr E. Amoako, both assembly members. In a statement reacting to petitions in the media to the effect that Akyem Swedru did not deserve the status of a district capital, it said the presenters of that petition consisted of a few traditional leaders in Akyem Achiase, which was not a fair representation “of the good people and Nananom in the proposed district”. The statement said the Akyem ethnic group consists of three traditional states namely; Abuakwa with its capital at Kyebi having three districts under it, Kotoku with its capital at Akyem Oda having two districts and Bosome with Akyem Swedru as its capital and has no district under it while Akyem Achiase is a town in Abuakwa under Kyebi. The statement refuted allegations that Akyem Achiase is highly populated than Akyem Swedru and said even if the population of Akyem Achiase should exceed that of Akyem Swedru, it still cannot render it void for it to be the district capital. The statement cited as an example Akyem Afosu and Akyem Ofoase in the Birim North District that are developed and populated than New Abirem yet still the district capital was sited at New Abirem. The statement also refuted the assertion that Akyem Achiase generates more revenue than Akyem Swedru and said records from the District Assembly rather places Akyem Swedru ahead of Akyem Achiase in that respect. With issues concerning land for infrastructural development, the statement said Akyem Swedru has more than enough to accommodate the infrastructural needs of the newly created capital, adding that the former Birim South District Assembly headquarters at Akyem Oda was given 182 hectares of land to be used for their intended garage building. About 180 hectares of land has been given to the Methodist Church, Ghana for the building of a new campus for the faculty of Agriculture of the Methodist University. It said currently the town is the home for the District Police headquarters, District Circuit Court, District headquarters of Ghana Water Company, headquarters of Akyem Swedru Constituency, Catholic Maternity and Clinic, which is assuming the status of a hospital and capital of Bosome Traditional Area among others. The statement assured the government and the general public that Akyem Swedru is fully prepared and ready in every facet of development to host the New District as its capital. Source: GNA