Moglaa (Northern Region), 8 Dec. '98, Two blocks of living quarters built for nurses and teachers at Moglaa in the Savelugu/Nanton district with assistance from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) were commissioned yesterday.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mrs Janet Graham and the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Joshua Alabi jointly commissioned the 10 roomed semi-detached blocks built at the cost of 42 million cedis. The fund contributed 36 million cedis while the Moglaa community provided six million cedis and labour. The cost of labour was not quantified.

Each block has five rooms, a kitchen, toilet, store and bath, Mrs Graham said the high commission decided to assist the community because many rural areas are denied the services of competent medical and teaching personnel, most who prefer to operate in the urban centres because of the lack of decent accommodation and other social amenities.

The absence of such personnel has contributed to the poor health and low academic standards in rural communities.

She commended the chiefs and people for their commitment which encouraged the mission to support the project.

Mr Alabi commended the people for initiating such a laudable programme to improve education and health care in the community.

He charged the Moglaa community and the district assembly with the joint responsibility of maintaining the building saying "it is only through proper care and use that the projects can be sustained to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people".

He said even though the government has a programme to develop the rural areas much depends on the people's own initiative and determination to improve their living conditions.

Moglaa-Lana, Ben Sulemana Alhasan, said the people of Moglaa decided to undertake the project in recognition of the sacrificial work by teachers and health personnel. GRi