Minister commissions European Union projects

The European Union in Ghana (EU) has constructed 113 facilities in the Upper East Region at the cost of about 9.81 billion cedis under the Phase One of its Fifth Micro Projects Programme.

So far, 59 of the facilities in six districts in the region have been completed. They include schools, market stalls, clinics, residential accommodations and hand-dug wells. The facilities are provided under a joint partnership programme between the government of Ghana and the EU geared towards developing social infrastructure in the three Northern Regions.

The Upper East Region Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu said this in an address to commission projects in the Bawku East and Bawku West Districts. At Bawku East District he commissioned a chain of market stalls, a clinic, school block and hand-dug wells. At Teshie in the Bawku West District he commissioned a three-bedroom house for nurses.

Mr Salifu said the facilities were expected to enhance the human resource base and capacities of the assemblies and communities in accounting, store management and artisan and training management.

Mr Salifu warned against situations where project funds were misapplied, material and vehicles were misused and said: "such practices should cease henceforth." He asked the assemblies to speed up submission of financial and progress reports in order to meet deadlines for the projects.

Mr Salifu urged the assemblies and communities to involve women in the execution of the projects because ''they are naturally imbued with the communal spirit''. He noted that there were duplication of projects among donor agencies and said such practices bring unhealthy rivalry.

A representative of the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Miss Kirsi Pekuri, said 27,000 Euros have been provided for the construction of 1,950 projects in the Phase One of the programme throughout the country.

Miss Pekuri urged the beneficiaries of the facilities to develop the culture of maintenance in order to prolong the life span of the facilities. She said the role of decentralised departments could not be over-emphasised adding that they play an effective collaborative roles to ensure the success of the programme.

The Deputy Programmes Manager of EU, Reverend Samuel Otu Pimpong, expressed regret that some communities are unwilling to provide communal labour, a pre-requisite for the location of a project.