Bolgatanga, Oct. 21 GNA - The Municipal Chief Executive of Bolgatanga, Mr Epsona H. Ayamga, has called on landlords to release lands for national development.

He said this during a 'Meet the Press' series held in Bolgatanga. The event was organised by the assembly, to provide a platform for the people in the municipality to discuss key issues as well as seek clarifications on government policies.

Mr Ayamga said some development work would not meet the set deadlines because some communities had insisted on compensation for projects earmarked to take place within their jurisdiction. He therefore urged the media to educate the landlords on the benefits to be gained by citing such projects on their lands.

He highlighted some of the achievements of the Assembly and cited security, roads, health, water and sanitation, education, Energy, National Youth Employment, agriculture, environment, energy, and income generation as some of the key areas of success over the past 20 months of the National Democratic Congress regime.

Mr Ayamga said the region had enjoyed relative peace during the period, though there are some conflicts related to land in Sherigu, Yikene, Dorongo and Sorkabisi.

He said the dispute between the GPRTU and the Cooperative Transport Union, over the use of a Lorry Park had been settled. "One major concern during the tenure of the assembly was the refusal of traders to move to the Bolgatanga old market that had been rehabilitated and ready for use", he said. He said periodic maintenance works on the town roads were still being done whiles the contracts for the grading of roads within the Doctors' bungalows, Soe Flats and the Junior Staff Quarters area had been awarded and would be completed in a year.

He noted that the Sherigu, URADEP Village, Tindonsobiligo, Gambibgo and Zuarungu area roads had all being graded. Mr Ayamga said the present administration would ensure that the Municipality gets good roads and that "it would help promote income generating activities".

He said the Municipal Assembly in its bid to address some of the challenges of the health sector, had initiated the construction of a Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound at Sherigu and Nyokoko, and had also extended electricity to clinics in Zuarungu Moshie, Sokabisi and Dachio. It had also constructed CHPS centres at Yarigabisi and Katanga, whilst new CHPS compounds and pavilions had been awarded for construction at Dorongo and Kumbosco, which is expected to be completed in four months.

Mr Ayamga said though registration of the National Health Insurance scheme had doubled from 12,968 to 24,738, by the end of June; it still faced the challenges of huge indebtedness and delays in the reimbursement of funds to service providers in the Municipality. 21 Oct. 10