Regional News of Friday, 28 November 2014

Source: GNA

Garu-Tempane district prioritizes needs of PWDs

Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Garu-Tempane in the Upper East Region, on Thursday said the District Assembly had prioritized the needs of People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in the district, and was ready to help them improve their lives.

Mr Alalzuuga said promoting the well-being of PWDs and the less privileged in society, was a major priority of the Assembly, and that efforts were being made in collaboration with stakeholders, to ensure the allocation of adequate resources for their development.

Two per cent of the Assembly’s common fund had been allocated to the PWDs for their education, health and the provision of shelter and rehabilitation and craft centres, established for them to learn some vocational skills that would help them work and earn a living, he said.

He disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Garu, to attest the Assembly’s commitment to promoting the well-being of people living with disabilities, as they equally contribute to the development of the district.

He mentioned that the Assembly has procured land to build recreational centres for the PWDs, to keep them away from the streets, as that makes them more vulnerable.

Mr Alalzuuga said the Assembly has embarked on many interventions, such as the Rural Enterprise Project, to develop the Youth, who are seen as the driving force for the development of the district.

He said the project would aim at training the youth to acquire employable skills that would put them into the working class, to help promote their livelihoods, and the human resource capital of the district.

The DCE disclosed that the Assembly was implementing measures, including the construction of market stores, and the creation of revenue check points, to boost revenue collection in the district.

He called on stakeholders to support the Assembly to sustain the rural enterprise project to grow the local economy which is the bedrock for the development of the district.