By Clement Akoloh

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Lawra in the Upper West Region, Hon. Soyelleh Cecilia Nuratu, has warned that the contract for the construction of the municipality’s 24-Hour Economy Market could be cancelled if delays in the project persist.

She attributed the slow pace of work to the contractor’s infrequent visits to the construction site, raising concerns about the progress of the government’s flagship market development initiative.

The MCE made this known when she appeared before Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to account for development projects undertaken by the Assembly and outline challenges affecting their implementation.

Lawra Assembly Seeks Regional Minister’s Intervention

Providing an update on the 24-Hour Economy Market project, Madam Nuratu acknowledged that progress had been slow, blaming the contractor’s limited presence at the site.

“The contractor takes a very long time to visit site; he doesn’t know what is happening on the ground,” she said.

She explained that the Assembly’s engineers and directors regularly visit the site to monitor the project, despite the contractor’s infrequent visits.

According to her, the Assembly has written to the Upper West Regional Minister to intervene, noting that the contract was awarded at the regional level, with the Assembly serving as a witness.

“We have since written to the Regional Minister. We are awaiting whatever the outcome, including possible cancellation,” she disclosed.

The proposed cancellation remains subject to the outcome of the regional-level intervention.

Madam Nuratu assured the Committee that the Assembly remained committed to completing its ongoing projects to improve infrastructure and service delivery in the municipality.

Lawra Records Progress in Health and Education

Beyond the market project, the MCE highlighted progress in the health and education sectors, despite the Assembly starting its development activities later than expected.

She explained that she assumed office in November and commenced project implementation in January, following the death of her predecessor the previous year.

In the health sector, she said the Assembly had implemented a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound project, while another was ongoing.

She also disclosed that a legacy project involving the construction of a polyclinic maternity ward was approximately 97 per cent complete.

“We have implemented a CHPS compound, one is in progress, and we are almost done with a legacy project — a Polyclinic Maternity Ward which is about 97% complete,” she said.

In education, the Assembly has constructed and handed over a six-unit classroom block to the community. It has also procured furniture that is expected to be handed over to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for distribution to schools.

For the current year, the MCE said the Assembly had awarded contracts for additional development projects in the health and education sectors.

MCE Targets Women and Youth Development Legacy

In an interview after the Committee hearing, Madam Nuratu said she wanted her tenure to be remembered for government programmes that directly improve the lives of women and young people.

Asked about the legacy she hoped to leave behind, she said: “I want to leave behind legacies of government programs that will benefit women and the youth so that I will be remembered as a result of that.”

Her stated priority highlights the Assembly’s ambition to make women’s empowerment and youth development central to its local development agenda.

The progress of ongoing infrastructure projects, particularly the delayed 24-Hour Economy Market, will remain an important test of the Assembly’s ability to translate its development plans into tangible benefits for residents of Lawra.

Source: parliamentnews360.com