Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has praised the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council for its ongoing efforts to maintain security, improve sanitation, and accelerate infrastructure development across the region.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said this when she received a briefing from the Council, led by the Ashanti Region Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, on key initiatives and interventions currently underway.

On security, the Council highlighted measures taken in response to recent incidents, including the murder of a Kusasi Chief.

These include registering motorbikes to strengthen oversight and providing enhanced security for traditional leaders.

The Vice President commended the efforts to restore calm and acknowledged the support of Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II in promoting peace in the region.

Sanitation and infrastructure were also central to the briefing. The National Sanitation Day exercises have led to the desilting of major drains at Asokwa and Ahodwo, improving drainage and facilitating the dualisation of key roads.

Major projects under the “Big Push” initiative, including the Kumasi–Sunyani Road, dualisation of Ahodwo and Santasi roundabouts, Sekyere–Kwamang and Sekyere–Nsuta roads, and the Outer Kumasi Ring Road, are ongoing.

Plans to redesign the Suame Interchange from a four-tier to a three-tier structure aim to reduce costs and minimize demolitions.

These developments, the Vice President noted, are enhancing mobility, easing congestion, and boosting trade.

The Council also reported on social welfare and market interventions. Efforts to rehabilitate drug users and reintegrate them into society, including involving them in sanitation initiatives, are ongoing.

Disaster management teams are working with market boards to respond to recent fires and emergencies, while construction of 24-hour markets is progressing with support from the District Assembly Common Fund.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang commended the Council’s dedication, emphasising that security, sanitation, and public education through schools, markets, and community platforms must remain priorities.

She encouraged sustained collaboration and deeper community engagement to ensure long-term stability and development in the Ashanti Region.