More Planned  Projects for 2005/2006, says DPO

The Karaga District Planning Officer  (DPO)Mr.Abdul-Karim Adam has said  that the District Assembly is poised for more action all fronts. He said three more staff bungalows and two 10-seater KVIP toilets will all be completed within the Ist  period. The Karaga health Centre according to the District Planning Officer will also be renovated. Mr. Abdul-Karim Adam added that three 3-unit classroom blocks will also be completed before the end of this year. 

All above projects will be funded with the Assembly’s share of the Common Fund, The District Planning Officer added that, the Assembly will set aside 29% of its DACF allocation  of which it is yet to receive as a resolving fund for productivity Improvement and Income Generation, Community Initiated Projects, the District Education Fund, support for Nursing Trainees and HIV/AIDS and Malaria programmes.

The DPO totd KAARAGA NEWS that all the planned projects will be implemented without delay due to their importance both to the people and the Assembly.  With the construction of the KVIPs, Mr. Adam expressed the hope that people in the beneficiary  communities will put a stop to the habit of  defecating in the open, a practice he said  contributes to the possible outbreak of cholera and other diseases.  He said construction of the three new school clocks will also encourage enrollment in school.

CIDA To Rescue Of Karaga District

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Canadian Government funded body working to promote Good Governance and support to alleviate the suffering of mostly developing countries, through the provision of budgetary support is undoubtedly making tremendous impact on the lives of the people. The CIDA is funding the construction of four very important infrastructural projects in the district under its District Wide Assistance Project (DWAP) programme.

The projects which are still on-going are the construction of a Police Quarters in Karaga, construction of two nurses quarters, one each in Karaga and Zandua and the construction of a post office. All projects are about eighty-percent complete. Four additional projects under the same programme will be executed during the course of this year.

The intended projects include the construction of two CHPS compounds, one each at Sandua and Binloli and the construction of a Nurses quarters at Pishigu to ease the suffering of Health personnel there. A new 3-unit classroom block will also be constructed at Namnang under the same programmethis year.

According to the District Planning Officer Mr. Abdul-Karim Adam, Sandua and Binloli are communities in the remotest parts of the District and as such the construction of the CHP compounds there is in line with Government’s Policy of ensuring health for all by bring such facilities to the door steps of the people. 

He said the District Assembly attaches great importance to the health needs of the people and will therefore ensure the early completion of the facilities to alleviate the suffering of the people. On the construction of the new school block at Nannang, Mr. Adam said the Karaga District Assembly is duty bound to ensure that pupils learn in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility through the provision of decent and safe school infrastructure to achieve that goal.

He commended the CIDA for the assistance and expressed the hope that more assistance shall be forthcoming for the benefit of the people. He said the District Assembly’s planning and Co-ordinating Unit (DPCU) and the Works Unit will monitor and supervise to ensure quality work by contractors who will be engaged to execute the projects.
 
Assembly Members Sensitised On NORPREP

Assembly members of the Karaga District Assembly have been sensitized  on the implementation of the Northern Regional Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP) in the District. 

The programme, which is a collaboration between the Government of Ghana and the International fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) seeks to improve livelihoods and living conditions of poor communities with particular focus on women and other vulnerable groups. 

The programme hopes to achieve this through deepening and broadening of rural services in communities, and individual self help capacities.   Workshop objectives included the development of an action plan to build the capacities of decentalised government departments, civil society groups and community based organisations to better respond to the needs of the poorest strata of the population.

Throwing more light on the programme, the District Planning Officer, Mr. Abdul-Karim Adam said funds have already been allocated to the District Assembly to assist it in the preparation of a medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) which also resulted in the additional drawing up of Community and Area Council Action Plans.

Mr. Adam said the programme will be under the direct supervision of the District planning and Co-odinting Unit (DPCU) Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the DCE, Baba Wahab said Government in collaboration with other development partners and friends will continue to put in place interventions such as the NORPREP programme to improve upon the living conditions of the people particularly those dwelling in the rural areas.

He appealed to the Assembly members to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them by the people in their respective areas by being worthy ambassadors. He said the people who elected them were watching and monitoring their performance with keen interest and it therefore behoves on all of them to live-up to expectation. 

According to the DCE Assembly members play an important role in the overall development of the district and urged them to translate all what they have learnt at the workshop into practice for the benefit of the people.

More Feeder Roads to be Rehabilitated

A number of feeder roads across the length and breath of the District have been earmarked for rehabilitation this year with financial support from the Danish Government under the Transport Sector Programme Support two (TSPSII) Some of the feeder roads to be rehabilitated include the Kuduli junction to Komoayili, Gaa to Tamaligu junction and Sung to Tamaligu among others. 

There is another significant component of the TSPS II. The capacities of core Assembly staff and those of the Area Councils will also be built to enable them function efficiently and effectively. Speaking to KARAGA NEWs recently, the District Planning Officer, Abdul-Karim Adam said the bad state of most feeder roads in the District was hindering the easy and smooth movement of farm produce and the travelling public to the marketing centres and to the communities.
 
"The rehabilitation of the roads will therefore be a big relief to the people of Karaga District particularly farmers and traders", he added. He said the rehabilitation of the roads will ensure  safety on the roads even though the district has no frightening records of motor accidents. On the capacity building component of the support, Mr. Adam said it will hopefully equip them with the necessary skills and techniques to discharge their duties with the best of their abilities.

He said he was particularly happy about the extension of the facility to staff of the area councils saying it will greatly impact positively on their operations. He said the complete operationalisation of the area councils in the District is one of the top priorities of the office of the District Chief Executive.