UPDATES

The Ketu South Municipal Assembly (KSMA), under the leadership of Hon. Nicholas Kwabla Worclachie, organized a series of community engagement sessions across all five zonal/urban councils of the municipality (Aflao Urban; Aflao Wego; Some Fugo; Some Wego and Klikor). 

The exercise, financed by GoG, through the Assembly, formed part of the preparatory process for developing the 2026–2029 Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP), which will serve as the foundation for the municipality’s Annual Action Plans and the developmental guide for NGOs in the next 4 years. The main objective was to provide updates on the 2022–2025 MTDP yearly projects by the Assembly, listen to, discuss, and document development challenges in the various communities, prioritize them, and co-create solutions. 

The meetings brought together a broad spectrum of key stakeholders, including: Assembly members and unit committee members; Traditional authorities; Heads of government institutions; Non-governmental organizations (notably GIZ Ghana, and EMPACT REACH LBG); Key KSMA staff like the Municipal Development and Physical Planning Officers, Municipal Assistant Directors, Gender Desk personnel, Budget Officers, the Municipal Engineer & Works Officer, and the HR Officer; Community members and other local key stakeholders. 

During the sessions, participants identified and prioritized development challenges and needs using the pairwise ranking method, and validated municipal maps, forming the situational analysis. Using the bottom-up approach, Assembly members were further tasked to develop Community Action Plans (CAPs), outlining their vision, mission, goals, objectives, and proposed solutions; fostering community participation and collaboration, to feed directly into the municipality’s Medium-Term Development Plan in line with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) guidelines. The project is set to be completed in December 2025.

The Blekusu New Town Resettlement Initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ketu South Municipal Assembly (KSMA), traditional authorities, EMPACT REACH LBG, and community stakeholders to provide a safe and sustainable relocation site for residents affected by recurring tidal waves. 

On 28th May 2025, the KSMA Resettlement Team, comprising the Municipal Engineer, Works Officer, Development and Physical Planning Officers, and staff of EMPACT REACH LBG, held a strategic meeting with Torgbui Agbali III (Chief of Blekusu) and Hon. Raphael Nukamewor (Assemblyman) to discuss the establishment of a new settlement, "Blekusu New Town". This was followed by a transect walk on the proposed 187-acre island, designated for the community’s resettlement. 

Further consultations took place on 18th June 2025, where the KSMA and EMPACT REACH LBG team engaged the landowners (mostly women) of the proposed site to secure stakeholder buy-in and align on Torgbui Agbali III’s vision for a well-planned community. The meeting, attended by community chiefs, landowners, and the Assemblyman, was highly productive, with a broad consensus on the importance of developing a structured and resilient settlement.

Key priorities of the Blekusu New Town include: Organized residential housing; well-planned road networks and buffer zones; relocation of scattered burial sites to a designated community cemetery; market, police and fire stations, playgrounds/parks, hospital, chief’s palace, and school with teachers’ bungalow; reliable water and electricity supply systems; sewage and waste disposal facilities; other essential infrastructure to support a modern and resilient community. 

This initiative, set to be completed in December 2025, represents a proactive response to the devastating impact of tidal waves, ensuring the long-term safety, resilience, and socio-economic development of the Blekusu people.