By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, April 20, GNA – Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister has said government has made considerable progress over the past year through its interventions in various sectors in the region including education, health, roads and youth employment.
Mr John was speaking during a durbar dubbed: “Accounting to the People” in Tamale as part of President John Mahama’s two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Northern Region, which ended on Sunday.
The durbar was attended by some Chiefs and people of the region with some sector Ministers of State taking turns to share what had been done within their sectors over the past year and what was ongoing.
Mr John said in access to water, 76 boreholes and 125 mechanised boreholes had been constructed across the region, some of which were at advanced stages of completion.
He said while the region faced water supply challenges, water production by Ghana Water Limited in Tamale had increased from 28,000 cubic metres to 40,000 cubic metres daily through maintenance works and replacement of equipment.
Mr John touched on the health sector saying the recently launched Free Primary Health Care initiative and the construction, furnishing and equipping of 34 Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds in the region were expected to improve healthcare delivery especially maternal services.
He said to improve learning outcomes, 121 contracts had been awarded for construction of classroom blocks, dormitories, assembly halls, laboratories and furniture for schools.
He said about 900 kilometres of roads covering feeder, urban and highway roads were under construction, while district assemblies were also using equipment under the District Roads Improvement Programme to open and rehabilitate roads.
Mr John said the region had trained and equipped 3,331 apprentices under the National Apprenticeship Programme while 1,005 beneficiaries had been trained under Adwumawura Programme with 230 selected for business pitching and 160 chosen for grant disbursement.
He expressed optimism that those interventions, together with the Feed Ghana Programme and Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiatives, would help tackle unemployment and reduce youth vulnerability.
Mr John appealed for steps to resolve the protracted Nanung chieftaincy dispute and acknowledged the contributions of organisations including the Regional Peace Council, Dagbon Youth Association, Konkomba Youth Association, COGINTA Ghana and STAR Ghana Foundation in promoting peace in the region.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/George-Ramsey Benamba