Government to launch Urban Renewal Project - President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama on Monday announced that government would soon launch its Urban Renewal Project to improve on the lives of the people including those living in ‘Zongo Communities’.

Under the project, he said government would provide access to more roads, good sanitation projects and proper planning in terms of housing and provision of basic amenities.


President Mahama announced this when Regional Chief Imams and members of the National Council of Zongo Chiefs called on him at the Flagstaff House, the seat of Government at Kanda.


The groups were at the Presidency to congratulate the President for his victory in the 2012 general election and his subsequent inauguration as the president of the Republic and to state their support for his administration.


President Mahama, who attributed the underdevelopment of Zongo communities to inadequate secular education, said government would improve on infrastructural development in the Zongo Communities and called on the youth to embrace the numerous skills development programmes government was rolling out throughout the country.


The President said government would eventually come out with a legislation to establish a permanent Hajj Board that would superintend over the movement of Pilgrims to Mecca and back, adding that, the dissolution of the National Hajj Committee was not because of non-performance, but because government wanted to bring more improvements.

On making Arabic examinable at the Senior High School level, President Mahama said government had already made a request in that direction to West Africa Examination Council, and very soon students will be taking their examinations in the language.


Alhaji Gado Mohammed, Spokesman for Sheik Nuhu Sharabutu, National Chief Imam, commended President Mahama for undertaking programmes that facilitated the development of Muslim communities and pledged their support to deepen the relations between them and government.


He mentioned health, illiteracy, unemployment and lack of secular education, as major challenges of the Zongo communities and appealed to President Mahama to intervene to upgrade projects in those areas.


Alhaji Umar Baba Issah, Spokesman for the National Council of Chiefs appealed to government to take a critical look at the deplorable trends at the schools under the Islamic Unit of the Ghana Education Service and develop a programme that would find solutions to their challenges.