Bongo (UR), April 13, GNA- Participants at the Bongo People's Assembly held at Gowrie in the Upper East Region on Thursday called on Government as a matter of urgency to rehabilitate the Vea and Tono irrigation facilities in the Region.

They indicated that the two dams has not been rehabilitated since their establishment in the 1970s.

The dams, they noted, needed to be de-silted and the canals repaired. The participants also stated that the machines at both irrigation sites were outmoded and could no long function effectively and efficiently and needed to be replaced or serviced properly. They explained that if the two dams were rehabilitated they could help generate employment for the people, especially the Youth who migrate to the south in search of non-existent jobs. The Chiefs of Vea and the Bongo-Feo, Thomas Avia the Third and Ayinaba Azare respectively, deplored the manner in which some politicians and Government officials entered their territories to perform their duties without informing them.

The Chiefs noted that by virtue of their leadership positions, they played an effective role in complementing Government's development efforts, and asked to be accorded the due respect. On the rehabilitation of the Vea and Tono irrigation dams, the Regional Minister, Mr Boniface Gambila responded that the projects would need between 300 and 500 billion cedis. He said plans were far advance to send proposals to donors for sponsorship.

With regard to the concerns raised by the chiefs, Mr. Gambila pointed out that President Kuffour had mandated all District Chief Executives to ensure that any government officials entering a particular chief's territory should consult them before executing their duties. The Bongo District Chief Executive, Mr. Francis Akurugu Asampana, mentioned the sponsoring of trainee-nurses and teacher trainees, construction of schools, tarring of the Bolgatanga-Bongo road, construction of a compound for Community Health Planning Services among others, as some of the achievements of the District Assembly. The DCE, however, expressed concern about the construction of the 35 boreholes under the Community Based Rural Development Programme (CBRDP) in the district which could not be accomplished because of the high fluoride content in area's water.

He appealed to the Government to come to the assistance of the people with an alternative portable water plan. 13 April 06