The government has spent GHc 344 million on the rehabilitation of 813 kilometres of roads in the Brong-Ahafo Region within the last three-and-a-half years, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister said in Sunyani.

He said under the Mills-Mahama administration, since January 2009, the area had benefited from massive social and economic development in other sectors like education, health, provision of potable water and electricity supply.

Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, who was addressing the end-of-year general meeting of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, said inauguration of the University of Energy and Natural Resources was a landmark educational achievement by the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister said that 108 communities in the region had been connected to the national electricity grid while 300 more would soon be connected, adding that efforts were being made to provide solar energy to remotest communities in the region.

He said the era of the NDC administration, marked a remarkable improvement in agricultural production in the region, with the establishment of nine mechanisation centres, 10 tractors and improved seeds supplied to farmers in the six Savanna Accelerated Development Authority districts.

They are Pru, Atebubu-Amantin, Sene, Kintampo North, Kintampo South and Tain.

Mr Nyamekye-Marfo gave the assurance that all on-going developmental projects in the region would be completed and new ones would be started.

He said before the NDC Government assumed office in January 2009, the region produced 59,000 tonnes of cocoa, but with inputs support to farmers and other pragmatic interventions, the region was now producing 120,000 tonnes.

Mr Nyamekye-Marfo affirmed that Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism in adjudicating cases was ideal, and asked the chiefs to endeavour to settle cases pending before the House for an enabling environment to accelerate development.

He expressed appreciation to the chiefs and people in the region as well as members of the Regional Security Council for their contributions to peaceful Election 2012.

Pemampem Yaw Kagbrese V, Paramount Chief of Yeji, in the Pru District, and President of the House, expressed worry that the upsurge of bush fires had caused major destruction to farmlands and livestock in the region, and stressed that some communities were destroyed completely by indiscriminate and uncontrolled bush fires set mostly by unscrupulous hunters and farmers.

He reminded the chiefs and opinion leaders in the communities to be alert with the approach of the harmattan season, and collaborate with the Ghana National Fire Service and volunteers in their educational campaigns on fire prevention.