UPPER EAST RM STARTS INSPECTION TOURS ACROSS REGION 3rd September, 2019

The Regional Minister for Upper East, Hon. Tangoba Abayage has inspected some selected developmental projects which were mostly, either completed and handed over to user agencies and communities or, were at very advanced stages of completion. The inspection of these projects happened in the districts of Tempane, Garu and Binduri.

Leaving the Yabrago 1V1D dam site

Some of the projects she looked at included health facilities, dams under the 1-Village 1-Dam [1V1D] initiative, ware houses and school infrastructure.

Hon. Abayage’s inspection visits began on Tuesday September 3, 2019 and formed part of her regional tour which should take her and a team from the Regional Coordinating Council, to all the 15 municipal and district assemblies across the Upper East Region over a period of five days.

On her first stop in the Tempane District, the Regional Minister disclosed that it was her resolve to take periodic field trips to each district to see for herself, the numerous development works that were being undertaken under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. She said she was aware of various physical projects including school blocks, health facilities, roads and bridges among others, spread across the region and also, had learnt of the positive impact some social and pro-poor interventions were making in the lives of the rural poor.

The Minister added that for instance, she had noted the great relief that the Free Senior High School Programme had brought to poor parents, the increased Capitation Grant to all basic schools and the expansion in the coverage of the Ghana School Feeding Programme which have all injected some boost in Ghana’s education sector. It was therefore on the back of all of these that, she thought it proper to hit the ground to hear testimonies from the real beneficiaries and to also to see how implementing authorities such as the Assemblies and other state actors, were assisting in the delivery of government’s mandate to the people.

From a courtesy on the Regent of Tempane and elders of the area, Hon. Abayage in the company of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Assibi Azonko, Regional Security Liaison Officer, Col. Rtd. Benjamin Ajibadeck and Tempane District Chief Executive, Hon. Paul Abugri, then moved to inspect a completed dam in the Yabrago community  under the 1V, 1D initiative. This dam which is fitted with an underground outlet valve, had its banks intact and had collected enough water which experts said, could last into next year.

She also made a whistle stop at the Tempane Senior High School, addressed school authorities and the student body and went on to inspect a completed 10-unit boys’ dormitory which was receiving electrical and other minor fittings. She equally had a look at a 16-unit girls’ dormitory on the same campus and also, inspected a completed six unit classroom block for the school.

New MOFA Office @ Garu Assembly

Madam Abayage and her team then made a second stop in the Garu District where she was led to inspect a new nine-room office block for the district’s Department of Agriculture with about 20 percent of works to finish the project. Here, she noted that there were some undue long delays in the execution of some government projects and advised the Assemblies to terminate, repackage and award contracts for projects where a contractor had unfortunately passed on as well as those that had abandoned their projects altogether.

Also, the newly constructed Denugu Health Centre in the Garu District was inspected and at which, the minister called on the health authorities and the Assembly to speed up the processes for occupancy of the facility so that vital health care services could start in the area for the benefit of all especially, women and children. Meanwhile, another dam in the same community under the 1V, 1D initiative was also inspected.

Furthermore, a ware house also, in Denugu under the one district – one ware house policy which was at about 90 percent completion according to the contractor, caught the attention of Madam Abayage and her team. She appealed to community members, who were predominantly crop farmers, to make maximum use of the facility upon its completion so as to prevent post-harvest losses.

The Minister’s stop in the Binduri District at about 17:23 GMT, marked the end of her rounds for the day. Here, she inspected ongoing works on a six-unit classroom block in the Kulunvae community. The project had some ancillary facilities including a library, staff room, a store and an office.  Meanwhile another dam, located in the Agumbi community was inspected to mark the climax of the day’s inspection.

Some mothers in Kulunvae however, appealed to the Regional Minister to add their school to the Ghana School Feeding Programme, a matter she referred to the Upper East Regional Officer in charge of the programme who was right there as a member of the minister’s team.