Ho (Volta Region), 8th June 99 -

Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday renewed the government's commitment to develop the Volta Region as it promised during the last electioneering campaign.

He said the problems of the region are not new to the government and it is working systematically towards solving them, particularly reconstruction and rehabilitation of the road network.

Vice-President Mills was addressing a mini-durbar of chiefs, and assembly members of the Asogli Traditional Area in Ho at the start of a four-day working visit to the region.

The tour, his first to the region, will take him to Kpando, Hohoe, Jasikan, Kadjebi, through Nkwanta to Krachi were he will undertake an assessment of problems of the people and commission a number of projects.

Deterioration of facilities such as roads and other infrastructure has been the major concern of the people.

In a speech read for him, Togbe Afede Asor the second, paramount chief of Asogli Traditional Area, expressed disappointment about what he termed, a neglect of the region and in particular the Ho area, as regards development projects and investments.

He cited the bad nature of roads in the Ho township, as well as the high unemployment rate among the youth and urged government to give them priority attention.

"All we are calling for is an all-weather road.

we are not allergic to asphalt roads," he said, adding, "the Volta region does not even have a full-kilometre of asphalt road."

Togbe Asor reiterated the need for the creation of more districts out of the Ho urban area to make way for effective development programming.

Mr Kofi Attor, Member of Parliament for Ho Central, buttressed the chiefs' concerns and called for the creation of an enabling environment for investments and the extension of some of government's programmes to attract trade opportunities.

On the Vice-President's entourage were Professor Kofi Awoonor, a presidential aide, Mr Dan Abodakpi, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries as well as members of Parliament from the area.

GRi?/