WA EAST COMMUNITIES TO GET ELECTRICITY (PAGE 28)

PLANS to connect Funsi and some communities within the Wa East District in the Upper West Region to the national grid is progressing steadily.
Wa East is the only district in the country where no single community has electricity.
Addressing a People’s Assembly at Funsi, the District Chief Executive, Mr Issac Alitu, said the Ministry of Energy had promised to re-award the contract for the Bulenga line and to hook Funsi onto Wellembelle, instead of Daffiama, which was very far.
He announced that five more communities, namely, Buffiama, Yaala Number One and Two, Kundugu and Kulkpong, were also being considered for the provision of electricity.
Mr Alitu said the assembly and its development partners were putting in every effort to ensure that the area was empowered to facilitate effective development.
According to him, the assembly had identified human resource development as one key area that required support.
He said many teachers had benefited from the rural incentive package through the provision of roofing sheets and other building materials.
Mr Alitu said while the assembly supported about 64 teacher trainees, the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Godfrey Tangu, provided funding for some tertiary students.
On the School Feeding Programme, he said 10 more schools in the area were being considered, in addition to the three which were presently benefiting from the programme.
The DCE said 23 women's groups had benefited from the Micro Finance and Small Loan Centre (MASLOC) support and expressed the hope that they would put the loans to good use.
Mr Alitu reminded the people of the area to tolerate the political views of one another in the run-up to this year’s general election.
"I humbly wish to appeal to all of us to maintain our composure and high sense of maturity under these trying moments," he added.
The MP for Wa East and Minister of State at the Ministry of Transportation, Mr Godfrey Tangu, announced that a number of roads in the area were to be improved.
The Regional Minister, Mr George Hikah Benson, gave the assurance that the government would continue to promote development in the region.