Chere (Northern Region), 3rd June 99 -

Three primary school blocks constructed at a total cost of 120 million cedis by Action Aid, Ghana, a British non-governmental organisation (NGO) have been commissioned at separate ceremonies in the Saboba-Chereponi district of the Northern region.

The schools which were furnished and supplied with supplementary readers by the organisation are located in Maboni, Chere and Tinchanga communities.

Commissioning the buildings, Mr Mohammed Seidu Issah Abah, the district chief executive, commended Action Aid, Ghana, for complementing the efforts of the assembly by providing the facilities.

Mr Abah assured Action Aid, Ghana, and all other NGOs that the district assembly would co-operate with them to provide some of the basic needs of the people.

Mr Abah urged parents to make use of the facility by sending their children to school and announced that the assembly has set up a scholarship scheme to assist needy pupils to further their education.

Mrs Frema Osei Opare, country director of Action Aid, said the organisation is now focusing on the root causes of poverty in the area with the aim of evolving a permanent solution.

She said Action Aid would continue to give attention to food security, education, institutional capacity building, water and sanitation, micro financing and health because these areas are crucial to improving the quality of life of the people.

Mrs Opare said the organisation is now shifting emphasis from direct service delivery to strengthening local government structures and decentralised government departments to deliver development activities to their communities.