Yendi (N/R), Aug. 25, GNA- The Yendi District Assembly, as at June this year, was able to raise 263.9 million cedis, representing 44.5 per cent of its internally generated revenue as against this year's target of 593.5 million cedis in spite of the fragile security situation in the district.

The Assembly also received 1.9 billion cedis as its share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) out of an expected 7.8 billion cedis.

Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani the District Chief Executive (DCE) announced this at the last Ordinary Session of the Assembly at Yendi on Thursday.

He said other sources of income were 588.7 million cedis from the Government of Ghana (GOG), 180.3 billion cedis from the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP), 203 million cedis from development partners, 107.6 million cedis from UNICEF and 200 million cedis from the HIPC Fund. He said the Assembly rehabilitated four primary schools at Zugu, Choo, Yimahigu and Bagbani at a cost of 220.6 million cedis, 197.3 million cedis, 212.7 million cedis and 218.2 million cedis respectively. Another two primary schools were being rehabilitated at Afayili and Meindoyili at a cost of 216.4 million cedis and 219.8 million cedis respectively.

Alhaji Tijani said the Assembly had opened an account for the transfer of 150 million cedis each for micro-project implementation in the Area Councils at Jimle and Kpabia.

The Assembly, he said, was in the process of fine-tuning its Medium Term Development Plan for 2006 to 2009 for public hearing adding that the plan would be in line with the National Development Planning Commission guidelines for the preparation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS11).

The DCE expressed concern about the spread of the guinea worm disease in the area, which he said was now the fourth most endemic district in the Northern Region. He observed that as at June this year, there were 216 cases of guinea worm in the district adding that this was more than last year's total of 248, with Sang, a sub-district, accounting for 70 per cent of the cases.

He therefore appealed to all stakeholders involved in the eradication of the disease to intensify their campaign to ensure its eradication by March, next year.

Alhaji Tijani commended the Assembly members for their role in restoring peace in Yendi and urged them to continue to bring their influence to bear on other stakeholders so that the situation did not retrogress.

Mr.Alhassan Shahadu, Presiding Member of the Assembly, expressed concern about the low enrolment of girls in school in the district and called on parents to take advantage of the capitation grant to send their children, especially the girls, to school. On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), he said the district had so far registered 46, 522 people and paid over 500,000,000 cedis on their behalf.