Kpikpira (UER), Feb.01, GNA - Five towns in the Garu-Tempane District of the Upper East Region would be connected to the National grid by 2009 under the Rural Electrification project. They are Kpikpira, Kugri, Kongo, Songo and Kpatia.

Mr Dominic Azumah, Member of Parliament for the area who announced this said about 600 million cedis from the MP's share of the common fund and the assembly's resources had been allocated for the project. Mr Azumah, was addressing the third Danjuar festival of the chiefs and people of Kpikpira Traditional Area.

The festival celebrated by Bimobas annually is in appreciation of good harvest and health during the past year and success in future. Mr Azumah said MP's share of the common fund was to assist communities to undertake development projects and appealed to the chiefs and people to co-operate and support the assembly to develop the area. The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Abdul-Rahman Gumah, said the festival underscored the need for unity to live in peace to fight poverty.

He said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had been established and urged all and sundry to register to access the benefits, adding; "Diseases do not occur within political, religious or ethnic lines."

The District Chief Executive for Garu-Tempane, Mr Emmanuel Asigri, said the absence of a woman to teach at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) was not ideal to encourage girl-child education. He said the current teacher-pupil ratio of 1:87 was an indication of the level of burden on teachers that had led to the decline in education.

Mr Asigri said the assembly had sponsored 46 teacher trainees, including two women but regretted that it was difficult to get citizens from the area to be recruited.

The Paramount Chief, Naa Duncan Kulbongo, appealed to the assembly to ensure disbursement of the poverty alleviation fund to groups engaged in meaningful ventures to reduce poverty in the area.

He also appealed to the management of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to include Bimoba language on the Upper East Regional FM station to assist in the development of the area.