Wechiau (UW), Jan. 23, GNA- Assembly members in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region on Monday, almost hijacked this year's People's Assembly in the district held at Wechiau, by using the forum to criticize government agencies and contractors working on projects in their electoral areas and making numerous demands on the government.

Assemblymen from Vieri, Baleufili, Ponyentanga, Buli, Eggu, Wechiau, Gurungu Electoral of the district, all joined the long queue and made demands that included provision of dams and dugouts, construction of culverts, rehabilitation of school blocks and the extension of the Metro Mass transit service to Wechiau.

This trend prompted the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Ambrose Dery to ask whether they had not been attending assembly meetings to warrant such questions since such issues have been discussed there.

He explained that the People's Assembly concept was introduced by President Kufuor to serve as a platform for the executive arm of the government to interact with ordinary people as a way of deepening the country's democracy.

Mr Dery said the district assemblies already had a platform for assemblymen to channel their grievances, adding that the people's assembly was not the best place for assembly members to do that. He assured the people of Wechiau that the town being a district capital, would soon be connected to the national electricity grid, and that once Dorimon, the other major town in the district had been connected, Wechiau , Kandeu and Lassie-Tuolu would follow in that order. On education, the Regional Minster said a total of 4.571 billion cedis was received as capitation grant during 2005/2006 academic year while 4,774 pupils were currently benefiting from the school feeding programme in the region.

Mr Daniel Dari Kuusogno, the District Chief Executive said 252 farmers were supported with the ploughing of their fields and provided with farm inputs such as improved seeds, insecticides and fertilizers to cultivate 580 acres of land under the National Youth Employment Progranmme.

Gurungu Naa Bandana Chenlinaa, an educationist observed that the quality of teachers engaged as community teaching assistants in the NYEP was very low and called for its review 23 Jan 07