Veep says Universities for Ho and Sunyani projects on course

Ho, Aug 17, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday gave the assurance that projects on the University of Allied Sciences in Ho and The University of Renewable Energy in Sunyani would soon become operational.

He said: 93You are all aware of the cumbersome legislatives involved in establishing such important projects, which have to go through the cabinet, through Parliament before implementation and I can assure you that the universities would soon take shape after clearing all those constitutional hurdles."

Vice President Mahama gave the assurance when he inaugurated the first ever Regional Policy Fair in Ho in the Volta Region. The four-day Volta Regional fair on the theme: 91'Empowering the People as we Build a Better Ghana,'' is the first to be organized at the regional level after two successive ones at the national level in Accra.

The programme apart from exhibiting development projects that Government had executed, would also hold seminars and dialogue on topics such as 91'The Better Ghana Agenda - The Volta Regional Experience,'' 91'Modernizing Agriculture to Feed Ghana - The role of the Volta Region,'' 91'Harnessing the potentials of the Volta Region for Enhanced Socio-economic development,'' 91'Oil Production in Ghan= a: opportunities yet Untapped - The Volta Region Experience and =91'Sustaining Ghana's Democratic Process - A focus on Women and the Youth.''

Exhibition stands were mounted by the National Youth Authority, National Communications Authority among others. Vice President Mahama called on the people of the Region to avoid the misinformation peddled that Government had taken them for granted adding that, 93As a Government we shall make sure that every Region receives its share of the national cake."

He said the establishments of the two Universities were geared towards decongesting of other public universities and also provide specialized areas for students throughout the country and Government would not renege on its avowed promises.

On the tarring of the eastern corridor road, Vice President Mahama announced that government had secured a $250million loan facility from Brazil to construct the Oti- Damanko-Yendi stretch of road in the Volta and the Northern Regions, while another $100million facility had also been secured for the Asikuma-Have road within the Volta Region.

Vice President Mahama said the Chinese EximBank would had also provide $6 billion for completion of all the roads from the Volta Region, through the Northern to the Upper East Regions and called on the authorities in those Regions to cooperate with the contractors as soon as work on the project begins.

He said government had earmarked some projects and would soon make funds available to develop the Volta Regional Agriculture and fishing projects, upgrade all the ferries and pontoons and develop coastal fishing harbour and landing site in Keta and Ada respectively. Vice President Mahama said Government would also embark on an irrigation project in some parts of the Volta and the Greater Accra Regions, where a total of 5000 hectares of land would be irrigated for rice production and other agricultural activities.

Mr John Akologu Tia, Minister of Information, said similar policy fairs would be organized in the Ashanti and Northern Regions before the end of this year, and gave the assurance that the Ministry would take stock of the fairs and make appropriate recommendations to Government.

He said the Regional fairs were not only meant to create awareness on the progress of Government activities, but would also decentralize participation and called on all the stakeholders to contribute their quota towards the success of Government programmes. Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, called on the patrons of the policy fair to offer suggestions that would enrich subsequent ones in the Region.