"We Will Not Base Development on Partisan Support" - VEEP

Fumbisi (U/E) July 28, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama said

on Wednesday that Government would not discriminate against any part of the country that did not support it in last year's general election. He said the Kufuor administration had come to unite the country and would extend development to every community, without regard to partisan affiliations. Vice President Mahama made the statement when he addressed the chief and people of Fumbisi in the Builsa District on the final day of his week-long working visit to the Upper East Region.

He announced government's plan to build a bridge over the Red Volta tributary in the area to provide a link, and thus facilitate contact, between the Builsa District and the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region. He further made known Government's intention to revamp agricultural activity, particularly rice cultivation, in the Fumbisi Valleys to ensure food security.

Vice President Mahama urged parents in the Builsa area to pay attention to the education of their children, as it was the only way to bring about enlightenment and poverty reduction in the long run. He also called on them to register massively for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). In a welcoming address, the Fumbisi-Naab, Clement Anyatui Akanko, had expressed his people's appreciation to government for addressing their needs.

Naab Akanko cited the provision of school infrastructure, feeder roads, an ambulance for the local clinic, a maternity ward, and the extension of electricity as some of the development projects the area had received under the government. He appealed to government for the provision of dams to boost dry season farming, the tarring of the Sandema-Fumbisi road, and the posting of more teachers to adequately man the schools.

The Vice President had earlier visited Sandema, Wiaga and Chiana where he had similar interactions with the chiefs and people. At Sandema, the Sandem-Naab, Ayieta Azantilow, appealed to Alhaji Mahama to help provide the Traditional Council with an office block, and to intervene to ensure the speedy execution of the Sandema-Chuchuliga road project. Alhaji Mahama later commissioned a six-classroom school block funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GET-Fund) at a cost of 550 million cedis and inspected ongoing works on the maternity ward at the Sandema Hospital, a HIPC Benefit project being executed at a cost of 350 million cedis.

At Chiana, Pe Roland Auagitam II, the Chiana Pio, appealed to the Vice President to consider the creation of a separate constituency for the area to accelerate development. He also requested for the opening of a rural bank to facilitate the people's access to credit facility for farming.