By Albert Futukpor
Binde (NE/R), July 10, GNA – Mr Sulley Sambian, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Northern Development Authority (NDA), says 99 projects out of a total of 181 initiated in the North East Region by the NDA and the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) have been completed.
Mr Sambian said the projects, which included educational infrastructure, health, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, dams, and warehouse, were awarded from 2017 to 2022, adding the completion rate stood at 54.7 per cent.
He announced this whilst addressing journalists at Binde in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District of the North East Region after embarking on a two-day working visit to the region to inspect development projects in the area under the NDA’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
He was accompanied on the working visit by some officials from the NDA, and joined by Mr Joseph Louknaan, Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District Chief Executive.
Mr Sambian visited a number of towns and communities, including Nakpanduri, Bunkpurugu, Tatara to inspect completed and ongoing classroom blocks, water facilities, and a warehouse at Bunkpurugu to help address post-harvest losses in the area.
Mr Sambian, prior to visiting the towns and communities, paid a courtesy call on Mr Yidana Zakaria, North East Regional Minister at his office at Nalerigu, and later proceeded to the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District to pay courtesy calls on the Chiefs and Palaces of Nakpanduri, Bunkpurugu, Bimbago, Najong, Naniik, and Jilik Binde, among others.
He told the journalists that the NDA was working to raise funds to complete the rest of the projects before the end of the year 2024 for the benefit of the people.
He said he was impressed at how the projects were impacting lives in the region, saying “The sad thing is that we have not been telling our stories. There is so much that the NDA and MSDI have done over the years. Unfortunately, we have not been telling our stories. So, when I took over, I decided that there was the need for us to tell our stories.”
He said, “If you awarded 181 projects and you were able to complete 99; at least, that is over 50% of the job done. But I am not sure so many people know about this story. We went to Bunkpurugu and you saw the warehouse; the beautiful one. That one will take care of the post-harvest losses of farmers.”
Mr Sambian told the people to keep faith with the NDA, saying “We have not really been in the news for the good reason for some time now, but normalcy is returning.”
He appealed to the Chiefs to continue to support and partner with the NDA to continue to bring development to the people.
The Chiefs of the towns and communities visited praised the NDA for its efforts to address their development needs, expressing confidence in the CEO to deliver on his mandate.
GNA