Ada-Foah (G/A), Oct. 12, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday cut the sod for work to commence on the Ada Sea Defence project. The project,t which is in two phases, stretches a distance of 14 kilometres from Ada-Foah.

The first phase of five kilometres will cost 60 million Euros and is being financed with funds from the Government of Ghana and its Belgium partners. The first phase would take two years to complete. Funds for the second phase are yet to be secured. The project is meant to protect coastal towns from the ravages of the sea which had claimed some communities and would also preserve historical and tourism sites in the area.

President Mills thanked the people of Ada for supporting and keeping faith with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. He however indicated that the project was not being done because the people voted for the NDC, but because Government wanted to give a fair shar= e of development to deprived communities.

He commended the people for their hard work and self-help spirit and o= n what they had been able to do, citing the construction of a school block by an individual at a nearby town, Bonikope which, he said, he would soon commission.

"You have our support; there is the need to protect the coastal town= s devastated by the fury of the waves." President Mills gave the assurance that whatever challenges that would arise during the project would be addressed and further commended the peopl= e for the rich human resource that had been tapped from the area. The contractor for the project is Dredging International from Belgium and the International Marine and Dredging is the consultant.

Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housin= g said the project was one of those identified to be undertaken from Aflao to Axim to protect the shore from the waves.

He said the first phase had been delayed because an international marine organisation had identified the site as a natural habitat for a kind of species of turtles.

Nene Akuaku, Paramount Chief of the area and President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs commended the Government for the project which he said would also provide employment for the youth of the area. He conferred the title 93Odey Opeor" (man of word and action) on President Mills.

President Mills later inspected work on a five-unit dormitory and maintenance shed project of the Ada Senior High School being undertaken by Berock Ventures Limited, expected to be completed by December, 2011. The contractor, however, indicated that the project would be completed ahead of scheduled by the end of October, 2011. President Mills also commissioned a six-unit classroom block of the Ad= a Senior Technical High School at Sege. He underscored the need for quality education and advised the students to study hard and avoid violence, intemperate and insulting language. The school's Headmaster, Mr Obodai Torgbor appealed to the President= to provide them with a vehicle.

President Mills also visited the Ada Songor Salt project site and interacted with workers and management, assuring them of Government cooperation to boost production which had been on the down side for some time now.