Veep Commissions 577 million-cedi office complex

Kpando (Volta Region) 9th June 99 -

Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday commissioned a 577 million-cedi office complex for the Kpando District Assembly and other decentralised government departments and expressed the hope that it would engender higher productivity.

The two-floor, four bay complex was constructed through collaboration between the Assembly and the Ministry of Health.

It was started in 1995 and completed in January this year. It was financed with the Assembly's share of the Common Fund over three years.

While commending the assembly for the initiative, Prof. Mills urged the occupants and the users of the facility to let the congenial office environment motivate them to improve upon their performance.

They should also ensure a maintenance schedule to prevent it from falling into the disrepair that often plague public facilities.

He said government would continue to support the district in its development programmes, citing some projects currently in progress to improve the socio-economic lives of the people.

The projects include the Asikuma-Kpeve trunk road, provision of pipe-borne water to Peki and the construction of the first phase of a 50-kilometre Kpando-Worawora-Dambai road.

He said the district would soon receive a 500-line telephone exchange to be installed by Ghana Telecom at Kpando and said he hoped that this would solve the age-old telecommunication problems of the community.

He said under the Urban Five Project, roads, drains, markets, lorry parks, street lights and sanitation facilities in the district would be upgraded.

Kpando is also one of 40 pilot districts to benefit from the village infrastructure project to receive support for integrated development for the management of water, agriculture, rural transport infrastructure and the provision of markets to minimise post harvest losses.

Ms Ekua Dansua, Kpando District Chief Executive recalled some development projects that were completed in the district and lauded government efforts to see the region develop.

She said in spite of these development efforts, the district is still beset with numerous problems including high youth unemployment rate caused by the absence of industries.

She said the district has large stretches of arable land and water bodies for cultivation of crops such as maize and yams.

There are also large deposits of Kaoline, which could be used for paint and pharmaceuticals.

Ms Dansua said a major problem prevalent in the region is chieftaincy disputes. Some of which are related to the elevation of chiefs to paramount status.

She called governments' attention to the Gbesi Bridge built in 1906 by the Germans, which has now been closed to traffic after two fatal accidents.

Ms Dansua spoke about gossiping and back-biting, which she said is most prevalent in the area and asked the people to re-examine themselves.

Mr Steve Akorli, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport pledged government's commitment to ensure that roads in the district are repaired.

GRi?/