Tamale, June 29, GNA- The Rotary club of Tamale has secured funds from partner clubs totalling GH¢ 1.3 million for the provision of potable water to guinea worm endemic communities in the Northern Region.

Additionally, the Tamale club would identify and adopt other needy areas and give the necessary support to ensure that poor infrastructure, healthcare delivery and poverty situations were improved. Mr Joseph A. Mumuni, the new president of the Rotary Club of Tamale disclosed this at the weekend after he had been sworn into office to manage the affairs of the club for 2008 and 2009.

Mr Mumuni takes over from Mr Salifu Adam. Other executives are Mr Alex Kpodo, Treasurer and Anas Sulemana, Secretary. Mr Mumuni said the Club would also help to improve healthcare delivery and facilities in the area, and that about GH¢ 800,000 out of the amount, would be used in purchasing hospital equipment for the Tamale Teaching Hospital while another GH¢500,000 would be spent on other areas of health concern in the region.

He said the focus on the provision of potable water, was to help eradicate guinea worm from the region while equipping health facilities would improve the sector to ensure quality healthcare delivery. He said though the sustenance of the Tamale Rotary Club in terms of membership and resources had not been easy since its inception in 1971, it had chalked remarkable achievements by providing school infrastructure for needy communities, health facilities, water and other humanitarian services.

Mr Mumuni appealed to Rotarians to give him and the new executive the necessary support and gave the assurance that his administration would ensure an improvement in the membership drive while a monthly award would be instituted for committed members. Mr Salifu Adam, the immediate past president reminded the newly elected executives of the challenges ahead and advised them to unite and cooperate to achieve the desired goals.

Meanwhile a sod had been cut in Tamale on Saturday for the construction of a GH¢250,000 office complex for the Tamale Rotary Club.

The construction, which would take two years to complete, comprises a conference hall for administrative functions and for rentals, a library, ICT Training centre and a restaurant. Mr Salifu Adam, the immediate past president of the Tamale Club, who cut the sod for the project said the money was from internally generated funds and Rotary partners in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and Switzerland.

He said the completion of the building would stop the club from "hopping from hotel to hotel" for meeting and other activities and appealed to members to show their commitment towards its early completion. 29 June 08