Bole (N/R), Dec. 30, GNA - The Bole District Assembly has initiated projects valued at 4.480 billion cedis to improve upon the living conditions of the people in the District. These include the construction of school blocks, staff quarters, markets, court halls, guesthouse, bungalows and provision of potable water.

Madam Elizabeth Salamatu Forgor, District Chief Executive (DCE), announced this when she addressed the Assembly at its third session held in Bole in the Northern Region on Wednesday. Some of the projects being funded from Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund include the construction of blocks of three classrooms at Kiape; Nuoyiri; Bole and Changbalanyiri. The Assembly she noted had also completed the construction of 12 other projects including rehabilitation of an Assembly Guesthouse in Bole, at 60 million cedis, a District Magistrate's Court Hall at 240 million cedis, an Agriculture Office at 51 million cedis. Others included the rehabilitation of junior staff quarters at 31 million cedis and two bungalows at a total cost of 21 million cedis and the construction of a urinal at the Bole Daily Market valued 30 million cedis and market stalls at Bamboi. Madam Forgor said the Assembly had completed the construction of three other projects under the District Wide Assistance Programme. They included three unit classroom block at Kparibayiri, the construction of a Police Station block and supply of furniture of 600 dual desks to schools throughout the two Districts valued at 1,347 billion cedis. The DCE said the Bole District Assembly had purchased a BMC Skip Loader, Skip Loader Tractor; two six cubic feet refuse containers, which she said had tremendously reduced the serious sanitation problem facing the District.

Madam Forgor said the Assembly had disbursed more than 100 million cedis to 300 students in Health, Teacher Training Colleges, Polytechnics, Universities, and other tertiary institutions. Out of a revenue target of 659 million cedis only 333.3 million cedis was realised, the DCE, therefore, urged the Assembly Members to develop new strategies to improve on revenue mobilisation to enable the Assembly to execute more development projects to reduce poverty in the District.

The DCE said the Central Government had released 188 million cedis to supplement financial reserves of the Bole Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, and appealed to all who still doubted the scheme to register to enable them to access improved health delivery services.

Madam Forgor appealed to parents to take advantage of the Government's capitation grant to send their children to school and warned school authorities against misusing the grant. Earlier, the Presiding Member, Mr James Jaaga stressed on the need to develop good strategies for the Assembly to achieve its goals. Mr Jaaga called for an intensive public education campaign involving the Assembly members and the chiefs as a means of improving on the low revenue mobilisation problem facing the District. The Presiding Member also suggested the early inauguration of various unit committees at the community level to make them more functional, and urged the Assembly to assist all willing communities to complete their projects.

The Assembly held a minute silence for the eight persons of one family, who died after taking a konkonte meal at Chache, near Bole, before the session started. Members, however, expressed the hope that the unfortunate incident would be the last of its kind in the District.