SOCO Projects: Regional Minister satisfied with pace of work in Builsa South
In Ghana, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders would implement the project in all Districts in the Upper East Region, Northern, Upper West, North East, Savannah and Oti Regions.
The Upper East Regional minister, Steven Yakubu has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Gulf of the Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) projects in the Builsa South District.
The Builsa South district is part of the 15 municipal and District Assemblies in the region benefiting from the US$450 million World Bank credit facility to be implemented in Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Togo and Benin with the aim to provide support to the Northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries which suffer instabilities due to food insecurity, climate change and violence.
Yakubu, in a working visit on Wednesday (January 11), inspected the various SOCO project works being executed in the district. Among the communities the minister visited included Logvosa and Gbedema-Gbenaasa where works on a 3-unit classroom block with an office, a staff common room, store, 1No. 4-seater KVIP toilet, 1No. 2-unit urinal, are 50% completed.
In the Fumbisi community where work is ongoing for the construction and fencing of a livestock market, the minister expressed delight in the pace of the work. He was also happy that work on the construction of a 1No. 1.8m diameter pipe culvert on the Bachongsa-Nyambisa road was progressing steadily.
“Yes, the pace of work is brilliant. They have a target they have to meet. And as you see, I’m asking the contractors whether they will meet their targets and they are going to meet their targets. I’m not going to spare anybody who is not going to meet the target because the money is actually there. Yakubu remarked.
The minister was hopeful that some of the unique interventions under the SOCO project would create employment opportunities for the local people who will eventually enjoy its life transforming benefits.
He stressed the government’s commitment to accelerating development in the district including delivering projects to meet the desires of the people.
The minister cautioned against the politisation of the SOCO project as doing that had the tendency to mar the progress of the intervention tailors to address issues of poverty, insecurity nad climate change.
“The NPP have never won [an election] in this constituency, so we shouldn’t have built anything here at all if it is about politics. But we’re building it here. So, where is the politics in this?” He questioned.
For his part, the Chief Executive foe the district, Daniel Kwame Gariba, thanked the government for the numerous development initiatives being undertaken in the various parts of the district.
Gariba intimated that it was the first time the district has witnessed accelerated developments as previous administration had failed to champion the district’s development needs.
Previous governments have failed them, but the NPP government has not failed them and it’s meeting them at the point of the end,” he said.
“Since I became a DCE in 2017 I have been working with them and I think the testimonies are bound among chiefs and among the people in the various communities.
“They believe even as a DCE, I fought so much for them. And if I become an MP, a lot more will come their way. And I believe that is what they’ll look at to vote for me in 2024 general elections,”
In Ghana, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders would implement the project in all Districts in the Upper East Region, Northern, Upper West, North East, Savannah and Oti Regions.
Source: Mike Fm/Fumbisi
