By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov. 06, GNA – The Government, has, since 2017, completed 161 educational infrastructure projects in the Upper West Region.
These are classroom blocks, dormitories, dining halls, administrative blocks and teacher resource centres.
School buses, pick-up vehicles, and motorbikes were also supplied for administrative and monitoring purposes.
The government’s flagship Free Senior High School Policy also saw 38,868 beneficiaries in the region.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, announced this in Accra on Sunday during the Minister’s Briefing, dubbed: “The State of the Region Report”.
It is to update the public on the various infrastructure projects and social interventions executed by the Government since 2017.
He said the region abounded in large tracts of arable land suitable for the cultivation of maize, millet, rice, sorghum and soya while its historic tourism sites and buildings had a huge potential to boost revenue mobilisation.
The Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), he said, had established the necessary administrative structures to support investors to secure land and maximise their investments for mutual benefits.
Dr Bin Salih highlighted some completed projects and ongoing ones under health, education, energy, security, road and transport as well as the water and sanitation sectors.
For instance, a total of 56 kilometres of pipelines were laid in the region, thus improving the rural water supply system, with 75.90 per cent water coverage, which was above the national average of 62.57 per cent.
On health, he said, a total of 87 infrastructure projects, including community-based health posts, hospital wards, staff accommodation, and clinics had been completed, while the Regional Hospital was commissioned and been operational since August 2019.
Five district hospitals under Agenda 111 are at various stages of completion.
The number of medical doctors in the region had increased from 48 in 2016 to 79 currently, thereby enhancing the doctor/patient ratio, Dr Bin Salih said.
The Regional Minister said a total of 220.29 kilometres of roads had received bitumen surfacing while the dualisation of the Nandom town roads was ongoing, with the 13km Wa-Bulenga and Tumu-Han-Lawra roads receiving bitumen surfacing.
Two major bridges over the Kulun and Ambalara rivers in the Wa East District were completed thus enhancing the carting of farm produce to the market centres.
On energy, Dr Bin Salih said a 13-megawatt solar power plant had been completed at Kaleo, while 4,000 streetlights were supplied and fixed to improve the lightning system in communities across the region.
Regarding the recent strange killing of night watchmen in the regional capital, Wa, he announced that 27 arrests had been made by the police so far.
The suspects have been arraigned before court, of which 20 had been granted bail, and seven in police custody assisting in investigations.
In addition, some logistics were supplied to the Regional Security Command to beef up security and to enable the 410 security personnel in the region to execute their duties effectively.
“The region has largely received its fair share of the national development cake,” Dr Bin Salih said.
“We, however, will continue to advocate more interventions, especially in the areas of roads and health in the eastern belt of the region”.
He said the RCC sincerely acknowledged the contributions of all its development partners, citizens and residents.
“We, however, encourage all and sundry to contribute their bit to the development agenda since the region has huge potentials that can be harnessed for development”.
GNA