The African Development Bank (ADB) and the Ghana government are to undertake an 85-acre irrigation project at Hove, near Golokuati this year at a cost of 1.2 billion cedis.

Mr James Dogbe, Hohoe District Chief Executive (DCE) announced this when he addressed the first ordinary meeting of the District Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr Dogbe said the Assembly paid 50 million cedis out of the 100 million cedis counter-part funds required to get the project through.

When completed the project would enhance dry season farming in the community, Mr Dogbe said.

He said the Assembly collected 1.7 billion cedis representing 51 percent of its 2002 revenue target of four billion cedis.

The Assembly spent a total of 31,650,000 cedis to sponsor the education of 28 students last year.

Mr Dogbe said the European Union (EU) had approved 12 projects under the second phase of its development programme in the district.

The projects are made up of school infrastructure, day care centres, market stores, nurses' quarters and clinics and toilets to be sited at Akpafu Adorkor, Gbledi Gborgame, Leklebi Fiape, Hohoe, Lolobi Kumasi, Ve Golokuati, Logba Tota, Likpe Bakwa, Gbi Wegbe and Abansi.

Mr Dogbe said 13 Town and Area Councils in the district would benefit from 455 million cedis from the Danish government to undertake development projects.

He said one billion cedis allocated to the Assembly under the HIPC relief fund would be used to finance eight projects including a teacher's bungalow at Tafi Abuife, a three unit classroom, a store and office and a 12-seater KVIP at Santrokofi Benua and Alavanyo Agorxoe and a kindergarten and nurses' quarters at Liati.

The DCE said work had started on the resurfacing and construction of drainage on the Kpeve-Hohoe road, upgrading of a three-kilometre Golokuati-Dofor-Kame road and pothole patching on the Golokuati-Jasikan road.

Mr Dogbe expressed dissatisfaction with the recovery rate of the poverty alleviation fund from beneficiaries, saying only 37.08 million cedis was paid back from a total of 380.1 million cedis as at November last year.

The DCE commended Chances Hotel at Ho for making available to the Assembly two million cedis, five bags of cement, four long garden seats and eight chairs towards the development of summer huts at the Wli Waterfalls.