Bongo (U/E), Oct. 1, GNA - The Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region spent about 1.9 trillion cedis on development projects between the years 2001 and June 2003.

Out of the amount, about eight billion cedis was put into the provision of educational infrastructure, including the construction of about 40 new basic schools, rehabilitation of old school buildings, and the supply of furniture to all basic schools in the district. This was contained in a report on the activities of the assembly released to the press in Bolgatanga on Monday.

Other educational facilities include the construction of 11 four-unit teachers' quarters dotted all over the district, the lease of a piece of land for the relocation of the Bongo Women's Institute, as well as scholarships, sponsorships, and allowances for students in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions from the district. The assembly spent about 1.2 billion cedis on the health sector in its bid to give quality health care to the people.

It constructed three nurses' quarters at Bongo-Soe, Zorko-Kodorogo and Vea at a total cost of about 304 million cedis.

In addition to the nurses' quarters, the assembly also constructed a clinic at Zorko-Kodorogo at the cost of 250 million cedis with the community contributing through self-help. It further extended electricity to the Vea Health Centre and carried out extension works on the same health centre.

Other health facilities the assembly provided include the purchase of theatre equipment for the Bongo Hospital at the cost of 50 million cedis from the HIPC fund, sponsorship for community health nurses, funding for AIDS and other health related campaign.

The report stated that the assembly also spent about 2.13 billion cedis on the provision of potable water and the sanitation needs of the people.

It has constructed hand-dug wells fitted with pumps for 63 communities in the district, and provided boreholes in 20 communities. On Agriculture, about 8.3 billion cedis was spent within the three-year period. Projects undertaken include the rehabilitation of two major dams that serve the water needs of the people for dry season farming, as well as disbursement of funds to support small grower groups through the LACOSREP support programme.

The assembly spent about seven billion cedis on human resource development, road network improvement and poverty alleviation projects, the report further indicated.

Later in an interview, the District Chief Executive, Mr Clement Apikiya, attributed the successes chalked by the assembly to the overwhelming support the assembly enjoyed from NGOs operating in the area over the years.

He mentioned Action Aid Ghana, World Vision Ghana, Rural Aid, UNICEF, the European Union (EU) and ISODEC as some of the key organisations that have supported the assembly over the years. He said for the first time in the history of the district, two distinctions have been recorded at the basic level in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and attributed the overall impressive performance to the provision of the necessary infrastructure for the development of education in the area.

Mr Apikiya commended his supporting staff for their untiring efforts and praised the NGOs that partner the assembly to bring the needed development and relief to the people. He added that the assembly has plans to develop an ultra-modern market for the district. 01 Oct. 03