Upper East Region to benefit from $75m IDA assistance
Upper East Region has been earmarked to benefit from a $75 million credit facility from the International Development Association to improve on urban and rural water supply and sanitation projects in the country in 2011.
Mr Alexander Asum- Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, who made this known in Bawku on Thursday, said in addition, government would provide about 20,000 boreholes throughout the country to cater for the water needs of the people.
He said government was determined to improve the country’s road network to facilitate the movement of goods and services, while works on the Eastern Corridor Road to ease travelling from northern Ghana to the south would be awarded on contract.
Mr Asum- Ahensah made this known at the 23rd annual Samanpiid festival being celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area.
It was meant to unite citizens from the area and thank God for guiding them through the farming season and granting them good health.
The occasion was also used for reconciliation and stock taking for the development of the area.
He said no development could be initiated in the midst of indiscipline, disorder and chaos, saying the theme: “Tolerance and Mutual Understanding for Peace and Development,” for the occasion was timely especially as the area and the country as a whole needed peace to bring about development.
“It is therefore refreshing to note that one of the core features of the festival is to foster peace and unity among yourselves and to create a congenial environment that will promote and accelerate the pace of development,” he added.
He said it was in appreciation and recognition of peace, as a functional tool for development that government supported the Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee to ensure the prevalence of lasting peace in the area.
Zug-Raan Naba Asigri Aburago Azoka II, Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional said the chiefs and people had reached a threshold of peace and preparations were far advanced for a joint pacification ceremony in Bawku to symbolise the official end of the conflict which the area had suffered over the years.
He thanked the government, development partners, the security agencies, National Peace Council, West African Peace Building initiative, Northern Development Forum and the Upper East Caucus of Members of Parliament, Inter –Ethnic Peace Committee for contributing in diverse ways to bring peace to the area.
He called on the people to be vigilant and report people who indulge in criminal activities to the security agencies to take the appropriate actions against them.
The Paramount Chief said the traditional governance structure of enskinning women to take part in traditional administration was long overdue.
Zug-Raan Azoka called on his 23 divisional chiefs within the three administrative areas of Bawku Municipality, Bawku West and Garu Tempane districts to take action to start the process.
Whilst thanking government for providing jobs for the teeming youth under the National Youth Employment Programme, he appealed for the construction of additional hospital in the Municipality to ease the congestion at the Presbyterian Hospital.
Source: GNA