Sawla (N/R), April 19, GNA - Mr Charles Bintim, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has asked Ghanaians to hold their assembly members responsible for alleged corruption in their districts instead of blaming it on district chief executives.

"It is the responsibility of assembly members to supervise and check the award of contracts and all that takes place in the assembly." Mr Bintim made the call at the People's Assembly organized at the newly created Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Northern Region on Monday. The Minister urged the people to elect responsible and competent people who could discuss issues intelligently and fight for their rights. Mr Bintin announced that 150 billion cedis had been set aside for the construction of affordable rural housing units in the country. He appealed to the people to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme, which he described as "a humane policy" to provide health care to all regardless of their social status.

Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Northern Regional Minister, said 20 billion cedis had been released under the Presidential Special Initiatives on cotton, sorghum and groundnuts and urged the youth to take advantage of the facility to be gainfully employed. He said 100 out of 1,000 tractors being imported into the country would be allocated to the Region to assist the youth to go into farming. During an open forum, the people expressed concern about the delay in the construction of the Bole-Bamboi road, the lack of telecommunication facilities in Sawla and the motivation of teachers to give of their best.

Mr Bintim, Alhaji Sulemana Achanso, acting Bole District Chief Executive and Mr Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, took turns to answer questions posed by the people. 19 April 05