This comes on the heels of feet dragging by the Assembly despite efforts to draw the attention of the District Chief Executive Awunnore Edward.
So far, it is only the Talensi District that has failed to pay a Cedi of the provisional amount of GH 286,000 for the awarded projects as required before commencement of the projects next January. The other beneficiaries Districts are Wa West District, Sisala East District,Kasena-Nankana West District, Bungprugu Yoyo District and Namunba South have all paid various sums of funds as counterpart funding for the projects.
According to deep throat investigations, only Talensi that has failed out of the 6 selected beneficiary districts to pay up. Funded by the Rural Integrated Development Projects.the OPEC Fund for International Development and the Arab Bank for Economic Development those projects are poverty reduction in nature and targeted at these selected districts to enhance development.
SIF say it is frustrated by the (lackadaisical attitude of the Talensi Distict Assembly towards the projects which it on sheer luck when other districts did not get selected to benefit from the poverty alleviating projects.
SIF say it is also surprising that Talensi, a very poor district is not taking advantage of these projects to address one of its challenging headaches and in a letter signed by Hon. Awunnore Edward, dated 17th August with reference number BA157/19/01 indicating commitment to only two projects- the “construction of a 6-Unit Classroom Block with 8 Seater Latrine at Yazore”and construction of a Community Mechanized Borehole at Datuku Zongo” while leaving Teachers quarters at Nungu, and Culvers at Gorogo out.
The projects, according to investigations the amount the Districts are required to pay for commencement of the four projects each compared to same offered by say GETFUND is far cheaper it was found.
Being the implementing agency, SIF say they had to defend the decision to include Talensi in the project at various places and yet the leadership of the District are not playing the needed role in ensuring that the poor people of the District benefit.
SIF has therefore appealed to sons, daughters, opinion leaders and the Member of Parliament and other well-meaning citizens to help take an interest in the matter so that it is not forced to reallocate the projects elsewhere.
Source: Seibik Bugri
