Wa, April 23, GNA - The government released 3.2 billion cedis to the Upper West Region as Capitation Grant for the 2005/2006 academic year and this has resulted in an increase in the enrolment figures by 19,646 pupils in the region.

Mr Ambrose Dery, the Upper West Region Minister, said the region was responding appropriately to the demand for additional classrooms necessitated by the increase.

He said this in response to questions at people's assemblies in the region organised by the Wa Municipal Assembly at Wa on Wednesday. As has always being the case since the inception of the people's assemblies concept in the region, issues on education, roads and health dominated with the limitations of the Capitation Grant in addressing educational inequalities taking centre stage.

Mr Dery said between 2002 and 2005 a total of 125 and 38 classroom blocks were built for primary schools and junior secondary schools respectively in the region while over 16 billion cedis were spend in upgrading infrastructure at the Wa and Lawra senior secondary schools. At the tertiary level, a lecture theatre and two additional hostels would be constructed this year at the permanent site of the University of Development Studies.

He, however, expressed regret that the UDS authorities were delaying the award of contracts for the projects and called on the University Council to prevail on the authorities to speed up the process.

Touching on the road sector, the Regional Minister said over 36 billion cedis contracts were awarded for the improvement and rehabilitation of feeder roads in the region between 2004 and 2005 while tarring of some roads were at a slow pace due to scarcity of chippings. Mr Mac Adams Banda, Wa Municipal Chief Executive, said a fruit factory that would create employment in the area was under construction in Wa. 23 April 06