Kumasi, Jan 18, GNA - The Kumasi Children's Park is to be redeveloped to host an ultra modern shopping mall among other amenities under the Millennium Cities Initiates (MCI) project, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) has said. A Palm Oil project, production of Bamboo bicycles developed by the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the building and running of a hostel at the University of Education of Winneba, Kumasi Campus, are also to be undertaken under the MCI.

Mr. Sarpong said this at a special meeting between the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority (KMA) and the MCI delegation in Kumasi on Saturday.

The delegation led by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, an Economist, co-founder of the Millennium Promise Alliance and Director of the Earth Institute at the Columbia University.

Among the delegation was the wife of former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs. Nane Annan, who was on a tour to review the four-year progress of Kumasi as a Millennium City. As part of the visit, Professor Sachs launched the School-to-School Partnership Programme initiated by the MCI in conjunction with the KMA, backed by Zain Communications and Ericsson at Opoku Ware Senior High School, a beneficiary of the project.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed among the four partners to provide high speed internet access to 18 selected basic schools in Nhyiaeso, Bantama and Oforikrom sub-Metropolitan Councils in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Under the agreement, KMA would supply computers, fixed wireless terminals from Ericsson with Zain providing the network connectivity and technical support to the various schools free of charge. The delegation also visited the Manhyia Palace, Suntreso Mother and Baby Unit of the Hospital where three computers has been given out by the KMA for records keeping purposes at these places.

Professor Sachs said the MCI was established in 2006 to help selected, mid-sized cities across sub-Saharan Africa achieve the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015.

He commended the KMA for its efforts to improve the lives of the people and pledged continued support.

Through its research and policy analysis, MCI seeks to assist the Millennium Cities to identify the most critical gaps in human development-education, agriculture, health, transport and infrastructure. 18 Jan. 10