Local government minister inspects GUMPP and UDG projects

The Minister for local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama has stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy on the operations and maintenance of facilities constructed across all communities of the country.

She said government and its development partners continued to invest huge amounts of money into infrastructural development, but lack of maintenance and poor attitudes resulting from lack of clear operative and conservation policies remained a setback on achieving desired outcomes.

The Minister of LGRD said this on Thursday, when she and her technocrats from the Ministry, the Western Regional Minister and Deputy, Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, inspected five major infrastructural projects being undertaken under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Programme (GUMPP) and the Urban Development Grant (UDG) within the Metropolis.

Hajia Mahama said government was committed to developing the various Assemblies through well-thought out social intervention programmes in collaboration with development partners.

She therefore called for coordinated efforts between the various Assembly staff in improving the livelihood of the citizenry.

The Minister alluded to the resource base of the Region and its unique contributions to national development adding, “Our desire to plant for food and jobs can also be achieved and harness our development if we tap into the resource potentials of every region”.

Mr Henry Owusu, the STMA development Planner took the Minister through the various stages of the projects including; the Integrated Social Centre, the Kokompe upgrading enclave, the Apremdo terminal, the Takoradi library complex and the youth centre project.

He said work on the various facilities were near substantial completion.

Mr Owusu said the STMA had also benefitted substantially under the UDG one to four intervention packages and that projects under UDG, five would be undertaken when outstanding works on UDG three were completed.

The Western Regional Minister said it was time for political heads to come down to the level of both technocrats and staff of the various agencies

“We are all not the only repository of all knowledge, let us learn from one another and better the lots of our people”.