Nalerigu (NER), Sept. 4, GNA – The North East Regional Minister, Mr Solomon Namlit Boar has inspected ongoing works on construction of offices of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) at Nalerigu, the Regional capital.
The Regional administration presently operates in a rented facility.
The Minister was in the company of Mr Danladi Abdul-Nashir the Municipal Chief Executive for Gambaga and some officials of the RCC and the Architecture and Engineering Services Limited (AESL).
Mr Boar and his entourage also inspected ongoing works on staff bungalows for officials of the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service at Gambaga.
Speaking to Journalists after inspecting the RCC facility which has staff bungalows attached, the Minister said he was impressed with the progress of work and was confident that the quality of work executed on the structure would stand the test of time.
He said work was expected to be completed by November, “The contractor has assured us that they will work around the clock to ensure that everything is well done.
“They are roofing the bungalows now, and what I am gathering from the contractors and the AESL is very clear that by close of October, they will be able to handover the bungalows across the Region,” he added.
The Regional Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bunkpurugu Constituency, said the needs of the Region were addressed on daily basis, adding that the development gaps between the newly created regions and the old ones were gradually being bridged.
“We indicated that this is a year of roads, and the North East Region has not been left out, because construction is ongoing in all the Districts in North East Region, this is just a drop in the ocean,” he said.
According to him, several development projects were springing up in the Districts and the Regional capital, Nalerigu, to befit its status as a Region. “We want to see this place as a modern and official city of the North East Region.”
He thanked officials of the AESL, My Turn Constructions Company for the progress of work, and urged casual workers at the site to use the monies they got from their labour judiciously to turn the fortunes of their immediate economies around.
Mr Gordon Tanga, the Northern Regional Consultant of AESL, said the project was part of a bigger programme rolled out by the Ministry of Regional Reintegration and Development in respect of the new Regions created by government.
He said ten projects under the programme were awarded on contract to various contractors to execute, and the ongoing construction of the RCC was part of the projects.
He explained that the ground floor had office spaces, store rooms, conference hall and restaurant, while the upper floor had additional offices and meeting rooms, and indicated that the site was handed over to the Contractor in November last year, and completion period was 12 calendar months.
Mr Tanga disclosed that the contract sum was about GH¢17.6million, “We are out of the most difficult aspect of the job, which was the foundation works. Where we are now is basically fixtures.
“We have no doubt that based on the progress that has been made and what is left to be done, it is still possible for the contractor to achieve completion by the end of November, which would be within the original contract period.”
GNA