By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Zebilla (U/E), Oct. 20, GNA – Mr Donatus Akamugri Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery, road infrastructure, education and economic opportunities as part of efforts to accelerate development in the region.
He said the government was fulfilling its responsibility to provide essential social infrastructure, citing the commissioning of a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound at Toende in the Bawku West District.
“The government, through the Common Fund, has discharged its responsibility by providing a CHPS compound for the people of Toende,” he said.
Mr Atanga was speaking at a public accountability forum organised to account for the government’s stewardship, highlight development interventions and engage citizens on challenges confronting their communities.
He said the Free Primary Health Care initiative under President John Dramani Mahama’s healthcare agenda was being rolled out across all 15 districts in the region to bring essential services closer to communities, promote disease prevention and early detection, and reduce the financial burden on families.
He further highlighted the MahamaCares policy, implemented through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, which was intended to provide additional support for people living with chronic diseases.
The Minister, however, stated that improving healthcare required more than constructing facilities, noting that adequate health professionals, medicines, equipment and essential services were necessary to ensure quality care.
“A health facility is meaningful only when it is functional, accessible and responsive to the needs of the people,” Mr Atanga said.
He announced that the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) now had an office at the Regional Coordinating Council to strengthen the monitoring of health facilities, enforce standards and improve service delivery.
Mr Atanga said the agency would help address reports of patients being charged for services they were entitled to receive under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), as well as the practice of unqualified persons providing medical services.
He said the presence of the regulator would promote accountability and ensure that residents received quality healthcare.
On education, the Minister disclosed that 102 projects were at various stages of completion across the region, and urged the relevant authorities to address challenges delaying their completion and ensure the facilities were put to effective use.
Speaking about roads, Mr Atanga identified the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road as a priority for the region, indicating that the contractor had returned to site and was mobilising equipment to complete the outstanding works, following an assurance by President Mahama.
He said roads should be assessed not merely by the kilometres constructed but by their impact on livelihoods and access to essential services.
“Our roads must not be judged merely by the kilometres constructed, but by the opportunities they create,” he said, adding that improved roads would connect communities to markets, schools, health facilities and economic centres.
The Minister also described the proposed Upper East Regional Airport as a strategic investment with the potential to improve connectivity and position the region as a commercial gateway to the Sahel.
He said, following the President’s inspection of the proposed site, sod-cutting was expected before the end of 2026, with construction projected to take 24 months.
He further announced that a temporary passport office had been opened in Bolgatanga, while work on the permanent facility was nearing completion.
On sports development, Mr Atanga said an inspection team was expected to assess the available space at the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium and its suitability for the proposed redevelopment.
He said the initiative would support talent development, youth engagement and employment opportunities.
The Minister called for a shift from primary agricultural production to processing, storage, value addition and improved market access to make agriculture more commercially viable and create jobs, particularly for young people.
He said the government’s agricultural modernization agenda included a Farmer Service Centre initiative through which modern machinery would be provided to 50 selected districts nationwide.
He named Builsa South, Bawku, Kassena-Nankana, Garu, Tempane and Talensi among the districts in the Upper East Region earmarked to benefit from the initiative.
Mr Atanga urged traditional authorities, landowners, community leaders and residents to make suitable land available for public projects and priority investments through lawful and transparent processes.
He cautioned against the encroachment and unlawful occupation of public lands, and called for land-related disputes to be resolved through dialogue and due process.
The Minister said the accountability forum was part of efforts to reset governance, restore public confidence in state institutions and rebuild trust between government and citizens.
He called for a public service culture in which public resources were responsibly managed, institutional performance was measured, citizens received assistance, wrongdoing was sanctioned and good performance recognised.
“Accountability must be permanent and not annual,” he said, adding that every commitment must have a responsible institution, a clear timeline, the necessary resources and measurable results.
Mr Atanga said the government’s development agenda must be judged by tangible improvements in people’s lives rather than announcements or the number of projects initiated.
“The true measure of governance is not the number of programmes announced or projects started, but the difference they make in the lives of our people,” he said.
He urged public institutions and stakeholders to prioritize value for money, take responsibility for their mandates and collaborate to secure additional support for development where necessary.
“Our people expect us to work, listen and account, and deliver. These must be the standards by which we serve,” the Minister said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]