According to Mr. Sibic Bugri Director of Communications at the ministry, the interactions which has taken them to various parts of the country is aimed at collating views of people in Zongo communities across the country which will help fashion a bill for the approval of both cabinet and parliament thus paving way for  disbursement of the funds.

In a welcome address, the Atebubu-Amantin District Chief Executive DCE Mr. Edward Owusu said the forum was a manifestation of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision for Zongo communities in Ghana.

He said a seed amount of GHC 219.5 million Ghana cedis approved for the fund is bigger than any allocation made to any ministry under the current budget and urged participants to lay bare any challenges facing their communities.

The Minister for Inner city and Zongo Development, honorable Boniface Abubakar Saddique who spoke in Hausa said the fund will be deployed in five main areas namely:  infrastructure and sanitation, economic empowerment, social development, cultural promotion as well as security and crime control.

He said roads, drains, clinics, water, electricity and street lighting will be provided in relevant communities under infrastructure and sanitation while women and the youth will be trained in entrepreneurship and employment skills for economic empowerment adding that beneficiaries will also be assisted to draw business plans and supported to access credit from financial institutions.

The Presiding Member of the Atebubu-Amantin district assembly Hon. Gariba Issa urged the minister to consider the provision of Islamic senior high schools where necessary and the improvement in Arabic school infrastructure.

He also called for scholarships for Zongo students studying in critical areas like medicine, nursing and ICT among others.

Participants from the three districts who included traditional authorities and opinion leaders touched on various interventions they will want the fund to make in their communities. They also asked questions bothering on a wide range of issues to which the minister provided answers.

Present were Honorable John Nyaba DCE for Sene west, Dr. Frimpong a special aide to the Vice President and members of a technical team from the ministry.