By Conrad Kadbry
The Assembly Member for Tapa Abotoase Aboabo Electoral Area in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region, Mr Theophilus Otumfour, has urged the District Assembly to ensure that revenues and taxes collected from his electoral area are reflected in the community’s development.
He argued that despite the area being the highest contributor to the Assembly’s revenue generation, Tapa Abotoase has not witnessed significant infrastructural development over the years.
Speaking in an interview with GBC News, Mr Otumfour explained that a major revenue and tax collection point for the Assembly is the Tapa Abotoase market. However, he noted that filth has engulfed the market space, posing health risks to traders and residents alike.
Tapa Abotoase, located in the Biakoye District, is one of the major fishing communities in the Oti Region. The community’s central market — the biggest in the district — serves neighbouring island communities and others in the region.
The Abotoase market is also a major centre for the fish trade, attracting traders from major markets in Accra, Kumasi, Kintampo, Yeji, among others. Yet, according to Mr Otumfour, the market remains underdeveloped.
He lamented that the District Assembly only shows interest in collecting taxes during market days without ensuring proper sanitation at the market.
Mr Otumfour added that despite several appeals, the Assembly has failed to provide adequate refuse containers to manage the rubbish produced on market days.
Aside from issues of poor sanitation and bad roads, he pointed out that there is no potable running water in the entire Tapa Abotoase community. As a result, residents usually resort to using water from the Volta Lake, which he described as unhygienic.
