Central Region urged to enhance NEPAD

Cape Coast, Nov 18, GNA- The Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, on Tuesday called on the Central Region to identify projects in agriculture, manufacturing, agro processing and education for funding, under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

He said the NEPAD initiative is geared towards ensuring good governance to facilitate socio-economic development and that it is the responsibility of both the public and private sectors to help make it a reality by implementing viable projects.

Dr Apraku made the call when he launched a ''NEPAD educational and sensitisation and creation of ownership programme'' for the Central Region. He said all regions and some ministries, like the ports and harbours and health, are expected to identify and submit to his office relevant projects that would fit the NEPAD conditions, for funding.

The projects that would be considered include infrastructure development, information technology, education, health and agriculture.

He said the prime objective of the initiative was to help Africans enter into partnerships to improve socio-economic conditions.

" If we fail it is not because we lack the resources but it would be because we lack the vision and could not mobilise the resources or worked hard enough."

The Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze, urged people in the region to embrace the initiative because of the region's status as the fourth poorest region in the country.

He cautioned against the politicisation of NEPAD initiative, which he said needs the support of all Ghanaians, stressing that it should not be labelled as "an NPP agenda"

The Cape Coast municipal chief executive, Mr. Muniru Arafat Nuhu, on behalf of his colleague chief executives in the region, pledged their preparedness to work hard to ensure the successful implementation of the NEPAD initiative.