By Nelson Adebayo Johnson.
Residents of the Western Area Rural District continue to cite visible improvements in local service delivery under the leadership of Chairman Kasho Joseph Holland-Cole, who serves as Chairman of the Western Area Rural District Council [WARDC] and Western Region Chairman of the All People’s Congress [APC].
Since assuming office as WARDC Chairman, Chairman Holland-Cole has prioritized what he calls “the politics of development” — focusing Council’s limited resources on feeder road rehabilitation, primary health care support, and market infrastructure across the district’s four constituencies.
Key initiatives under his tenure include:
- Roads & Access: Rehabilitation of community feeder roads in Waterloo, Tombo, York, Jui, Kossoh town, Goderich Peninsula and Newton to ease movement of goods and people, especially during the rainy season.
- Health & Sanitation: Partnerships with health NGOs to support peripheral health units, plus district-wide cleaning exercises aimed at reducing cholera and malaria cases.
- Markets & Livelihoods: Upgrading of stalls and drainage at the Waterloo Main Market and Tombo Fish Market to boost revenue for women traders and improve hygiene.
- Youth & Education: Support for Council scholarships and skills training for youths, targeting okada riders, carpenters, and tailors across the district.
Beyond his Council role, Chairman Holland-Cole’s position as Western Region Chairman of the APC has seen him advocate for what party members describe as “internal cohesion and grassroots mobilization.” He has consistently urged party supporters to _“Unite “and to focus on community service as the best form of politics.
Speaking at a recent community engagement in Waterloo, Chairman Holland-Cole said: “Our people don’t eat party colors. They need water, they need roads, they need jobs. Whether you are red, green, or no color at all, Western Rural belongs to all of us. Love not hate must guide our politics.”
Residents interviewed praised the Council’s responsiveness. “Before, we use to beg for grader. Now we see Council machine dey work,” said Mariatu Kamara, a tomato seller in Newton. “Chairman nor dey stay na office. E dey cam see we problem.”
Dual Role, One Focus
Observers note that Chairman Holland-Cole’s dual mandate — as elected Council Chairman and as Regional Party Chairman — has given him a unique platform to link governance with grassroots party structures. He maintains that the roles reinforce each other: “A strong Council delivers for all citizens. A strong party structure listens to all citizens. Both must build trust.”
With 2026 local government mid-term approaching, WARDC under Chairman Holland-Cole says it will publish a “Community Scorecard” to allow residents to rate Council performance on roads, health, and markets.
