Aliu Inspects Saudi-sponsored projects

Vice President Aliu Mahama, on Friday, inspected education and health projects in Accra, sponsored by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, and expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work.

The projects are a two billion ultra-modern Community Learning Centre at Maamobi, which is expected to increase school enrolment in the community and a 500,000-dollar Clinical Research Facility at the Noguchi Memorial Medical Research Institute, Legon.


The school project, being undertaken by Beingod Limited and Wibb Ltd, include the building of four classrooms for pre-school education, which can each accommodate 46 pupils, and primary school and Junior Secondary School building.


Head teachers Offices, a computer laboratory, libraries, staff common room, kitchen, dinning hall, recreational facilities and toilets would also be provided. The five-month project is expected to be completed by mid-April.


The health facility consists of four male and female wards, an intensive care unit, laboratories, consulting rooms and other units.


At the end of a three-day exploratory visit to Ghana in April last year, the Prince donated 600,000 dollars toward research into malaria, malnutrition in children and HIV/AIDS and 300,000 dollars to boost pre-school education.


Additionally, he gave 100,000 dollars to the Otumfuo Education Fund.

The Vice President undertook the inspection to enable him to assess the progress work on the projects for the preparation of a report, which would be delivered to the benefactor in Saudi Arabia by a delegation from the University of Development Studies (UDS) Tamale.


The Delegation would honour Prince Alwaleed for his benevolence. At both sites the workers were busy at work and they expressed hope that the project would be completed on schedule.


Vice President Mahama expressed the hope that state and quality of the project would encourage the Prince to support more programmes in Ghana, particularly the UDS.


The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, accompanied the Vice President.


Prince Alwaleed, who led a 22-member business delegation to Ghana last year, expressed interest in investing in the Ambassador Hotel and constructing a new hotel in Accra.


He is the Chairman of the Saudi-based Kingdom Holding Company. His business holding cover Banking, Estate Development, Hospitality, Telecom, Agriculture, Information Technology, Broadcasting, Media, Entertainment, Travel, Automotive Manufacturing and other businesses.