Regional News of Tuesday, 5 July 2005

Source: GNA

Seven EU projects in Awutu-Effutu-Senya district commission

Bonsuaku (C/R) July 5 GNA-Seven Projects undertaken by the Awutu-Effutu-Senya district Assembly and financed by the European Union (EU) were jointly commissioned at a ceremony at Bonsuaku near Senya Beraku in the Central Region on Tuesday.

The projects, costing a total of 800 million cedis include teachers quarters at Bonsuaku, a three-classroom block at Ofaako, 20-seater vault toilet at Krobonshe, a warehouse at Winneba, 20-seater vault toilet at Awutu Town and 2 separate culverts at Aponkyikora.

The EU provided 75 per cent of the total cost of the projects while the District Assembly and the people contributed 25 per cent including the provision of land, water, sand and communal labour. Commissioning the teachers' quarters at Bonsuaku, the District Chief Executive, Mr. Solomon Quarshie Abban-Quaye commended the EU for its assistance in the development of the district.

He hoped that the project would attract more teachers, increase school enrolment, improve upon the educational standard and urged the people to maintain it at all times, adding, "it is only by so doing that our development partners will be prepared to continue to assist us." The DCE expressed regret that the spirit of communal labour was gradually dwindling in the communities and appealed to the people to rekindle that spirit so as to benefit from more projects.

He reminded parents of their responsibilities of ensuring the schooling of their children and also urged the children to take their studies seriously and them to refrain from social vices such as pre-marital sex, drug abuse and indiscipline.

Mr. Jonathan Alabi, EU Development Analyst said that the EU has decided to spend 25 million Euro during its sixth programme this year on development projects and that the district has been selected as one of beneficiaries following its excellent performance in the fifth programme.

Mr. Alabi appealed to beneficiary communities to ensure that they released litigation-free land for the projects since their projects at Ofaako in the district has been delayed due to land litigation. Mr. Kwesi Esserku, Presiding Members of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya district assembly who chaired the function urged the people in the area to send their children to school to justify the huge investment being made by the government.

Mr. Esserku, who is also the assembly member for the area appealed to the people to stop spending greatly on expensive funerals but invest such monies in their children's education.

The chief of Bonsuaku Neenyi Kofi Quaye II assisted by the DEC caught the tape to commission the teachers' quarters, which has six rooms, two bathrooms and toilet facilities.