Regional News of Friday, 29 June 2012

Source: GNA

Vice President inaugurates Electricity projects in Bole district

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday inaugurated electricity projects in three communities of the Bole District of the Northern region, with a call on the people to take advantage of the facility to better their lots.

He said the projects were not meant for only entertainment but to enable them to establish small scale enterprises that could create wealth and jobs for the people to stem rural urban drift.

The beneficiaries, Maluwe, Tinga and Balley are part of the 22 communities that have been connected to the national grid in the district under the rural electricity programme.

The 22 communities of the district formed part of the 545 communities that are benefiting from the $170 million Chinese EXIM Bank loan throughout the country.

Vice President Mahama said apart from electricity, government has set aside a number of development packages to bridge the yawning development gap between the rural communities and urban centres and called on them to galvanize support for government to continue with the good development agenda.

He said the provision of electricity and water are basic amenities that government would continue to pursue to enhance the development of the people and to rid the communities of water borne-diseases.

The Vice President who was reacting to the criteria used in selecting students for training in Cuba said government would continue to adhere to standards and the demands of the people irrespective of their location.

He commended the China Water and Electric Cooperation for professionally executing the electricity projects and hoped the people would make maximum use of it to improve on their living standards in the communities.

Mr. David Sey Dema, Assemblyman for Balley, appealed to government to help provide teachers to their community schools that were facing problems due to inadequate teachers.

He also appealed to government to support them with good roads that would help them to cart their foodstuff from the farming areas to marketing centres.**