By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Zebilla (U/E), Sept. 26, GNA – Agro-pastoral infrastructure facilities aimed at boosting livestock mobility and production, increasing economic activities and revenue mobilisation have been commissioned at Bawku and Pusiga Districts of the Upper East Region.
The infrastructure consists of a 95-kilometre transhumance movement corridor from Sapelliga to Zongoiri, loading ramps at Zebilla and Pusiga, water points at Agaago and Yarigu communities and a transhumance camp site at Zongoiri.
It aims to support livestock mobility for better access to resources and Markets in West Africa and increase the Internally Generated Funds drive of the Assemblies.
The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a non-governmental organization based in the Northern Region, in collaboration with the various District and Municipal Assemblies built and commissioned the facilities with funding from the European Union (EU), the Acting for Life (AFL) and the French Agency for Development (AFD).
At a ceremony in Zebilla to hand over the facilities to the Assemblies, Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, the Executive Director of GDCA, said the project had been working to achieve social cohesion, inclusion, and economic benefits.
“Over the past four years, the Project to Support the Mobility of Livestock for Better Access to Resources and Markets in West Africa (PAMOBARMA) under the GDCA, has brought about great achievements, enhanced social cohesion and economic benefits, and contributed to the increasing level of agro pastoral infrastructure.
“We owe all that the project has delivered to the European Union (EU), the French Agency for Development (AFD), and Acting for Life (AFL), who together provided funding to the tune of EUR 809,000 to make it happen,” he added.
Alhaji Abdel-Rahman expressed gratitude to the chiefs and people of the respective communities for their cooperation throughout the execution of the project and urged them to make judicious use of it.
Alhaji Ahmed Issahaku Tahiru, the District Chief Executive of Bawku West, thanked GDCA and its partners for their support over the years, to boost economic activities and improve the livestock industry and urged livestock farmers to make the facilities their own and help the Assembly realize its benefits.
He said the facilities were structured in a way that would help the project management committee and assembly members monitor the entry and exit of herders.
Naba Emmanuel Ayagiba III, Chief of Sapelliga, commended the GDCA for ensuring social cohesion and inclusion while lauding the professionalism it exhibited during the community entry process.
“The community entry process by GDCA was excellent and that is commendable, they showed a high level of professionalism and must be applauded for recognizing traditional authority which has ensured the smooth running of the project for our benefit,” he said.
GNA