Malzeri (NR), Jan. 21, GNA - The Yendi Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Issah Zakaria, has asked the people in the Yendi Municipality to desist from politicizing development projects being undertaken in the area. He said chieftaincy and politics were making some people in the area not to take part in development projects, particularly communal labour, being initiated by development partners. He indicated that such negative attitudes did not bring progress to the community.

Mr. Zakaria made the remarks when he and some officials of the Assembly inspected a Clinic under construction at Malzeri near Yendi with Local Materials. He stated that the project was sponsored by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with UN-Habitat and was being implemented under the 'Housing the Masses' scheme. He said the aim of the project was to teach the people of the community how to use local materials to put up their own houses, which could withstand the rains and bush fires and last for longer periods. Mr. Zakaria said it was unfortunate that the Clinic which was to be completed by December 2010 was uncompleted because of the Abudu-Andani and NPP-NDC problem which was virtually killing the self help spirit in the area. "Development projects have nothing to do with Chieftaincy and partisan politics," he added. The DCE said the people of Sakpegu, Nalogu, Kulkpanga and Tusani, among others, were all to benefit from the clinic project. He explained that government projects which were awarded on contract were different from those initiated by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) which needed communal labour. The Yendi Deputy District Coordinating Director, Mr. Fordjour Timothy reminded the people that they should not let the confidence reposed in the Yendi Municipal Assembly by the UNDP become a disappointment.

He appealed to the chiefs and people in the area not to listen to those who sought to politicize the project, but to come out in their numbers to work so they could learn how to use the new technology to construct their own houses.

The Programme Director of 'Housing the Masses', Mr. Fred Oduro, said the community needed a market, groundnut processing factory and boreholes but added that those other projects could only be provided if the people really showed interest in the construction of the Clinic. He announced that after the construction of the clinic all the machines will be given to the Malzeri Community to be used in constructing their own houses in the community. Mr. Oduro appealed to the people to ensure that the project was completed by March this year because all the materials for the project had been made available to them for the constructional work. 21 Jan. 11