$1m per constituency not money to be shared – MSDI

The Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) has clarified that the $1 million for each of the 275 constituencies under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) is not meant to be shared.

Special Aide to the sector minister Nana Acheampong explained that most people expecting cash for their constituencies will be disappointed as the monies are for projects.

He made this known on 3FM’s Sunrise morning show on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

Nana Acheampong was on the show to shed more light on the activities and programmes of MSDI and justify the creation of that ministry.

Many have called for the scrap of the Ministry headed by Awutu Senya East Member of Parliament Mavis Hawa Koomson.

The critics claim it is one of the ministries that is surplus to the needs of the country and just a waste of the taxpayers’ money.

But Nana Acheampong claims their target audience have been extremely excited so far as their expectations and requests for special projects have been met.

“I believe that people are happy with what we do. Some people should take time and read about us,” he said about the naysayers.

The Ministry has been charged with many projects by the government under the three development authorities – Northern Development Authority (NDA), Middle Belt Development Authority (MDA) and the Coastal Development Authority (CDA).

Some of the projects include ‘One-District, One-Warehouse’ and ‘One-Village, One-Dam’, which is restricted to the NDA.

Nana Acheampong said so far 200 out of 560 dams have been completed under the ‘1V1D’ project and farmers in the north are already enjoying the dividends.

He admitted, nonetheless, that there are challenges with some of the dams but work is progressing steadily across the north.

“All in all, we will complete all of them.”