Ablakwa not happy with commercialisation of ISD vans in Wa

Wa, Nov.2,GNA - Mr. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Information has expressed concern about the misuse of Information Services Department's(ISD) vans by some officials for personal economic gain. He said Ministry was aware that the vans have become property of some "big men" who commercialized them for their personal gains.

Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa who was interacting with workers of agencies a= nd departments under the Ministry of Information in Wa on Monday as part of his five days familiarisation tour of the Upper West Region said: "This shortcoming needs to be corrected because the ISD is not a commercial ent= ity but a public service provider".

He would familiarized himself with the operations and problems of t= he agencies and departments under the Ministry, communicate government's policies and programmes such as the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), provision of free school uniform, improved agriculture and massive employment creation to the staff of the district assemblies as we= ll as sections of the public and also listen to their concerns. Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa said the Ministry was also aware of the fact t= hat the vans were being used as propaganda tools such that they could only be=

used during elections periods to the detriment of other important educational programmes that the people needed to make informed choices on=

national issues.

He therefore tasked the Regional and District information Officers to be proactive and use the vans to help in public educational campaigns programmes to improve sanitation, health and agricultural activities as w= ell as disseminate government's policies and programmes to the people to prom= ote good governance and democracy.

Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa said the development of the north was a major concern to the government and that cabinet had discussed and approved Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) which would cover the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions to improvthe livelihoods of the people.

He said the integration of the development needs of the five regions=

would be meaningful, focusing on agriculture to produce and make the coun= try food sufficient. Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa announced that 200 tractors would be provided b= y the Brazilian government while Kristo Asafo, a Ghanaian manufacturing fir= m would also make available 20 tractors to farmers next year to help government mechanize agriculture. Talking about the "Free School Uniform", the Deputy Information Minister said Printers, a local textile manufacturing firm, had been contracted to provide materials to benefit more than six million children=

for the start. He said sooner than later, all uniformed institutions, including the=

Ghana Police and the Ghana Armed Forces would have their uniform made locally to boost the local industry. On health, he said government has secured funding for the rehabilitation of the Tamale Teaching Hospital which would serve as a referral facility for the north and as well serve the medical school of t= he University for Development Studies (UDS). Government has also sourced for funds for the construction of a regional hospital in Wa and that President John Atta Mills would cut sod for work to begin on the project next year. Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa announced that laundry machines would be procur= ed for all major hospitals in the country to help reduce disease infestation=

among nurses and health other staff.