$103m for rural electrification in five regions - Oppong-Nkrumah

The Minister for Information, Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has stated that the Akufo-Addo government is going to embark on a rural electrification project for 583 communities in five regions. The agreement to that effect had been signed by the Ministry of Energy on behalf government and China International Water and Electric Corporation.

The project, the Minister said, had already been approved by Cabinet, and that it will be completed in 18 months at the cost of $103 million. The beneficiary regions are – Ashanti, Bono, Eastern, Volta, and Western.

Addressing the media at a press conference organised by the Ministry in Accra, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah indicated that the agreement was part of government’s National Electrification Scheme since 1990, which is aimed at reducing poverty, especially in rural areas, increasing the overall socio-economic development of the nation, and increasing the activities in other sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, Health, Education and Tourism.

“The scope of the project includes design, manufacture, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning, as well as handing over of the electrification project to the beneficiary communities.

“Government believes the scheme will also create jobs in the rural areas, thus reducing the rate of rural to urban migration, and most importantly, contribute significantly towards the achievement of universal access to electricity, a minimum of 90 per cent, by 2020,” Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah iterated.

The Ofoase Ayirebi legislator also said that Cabinet had approved a $200 million credit facility from the International Development Association for the implementation of the proposed “Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project.”

He went on that four ministries – Ministry of Works and Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources, Zongo and Inner City Development and Local Government – are spearheading this project.

Through this project, the Works and Housing Ministry will use its share of the fund (which would be given them) to handle drainage of some of the key water outlets in the Greater Accra Region, such as the Odaw River, while that of the Sanitation Ministry will be used to manage and construct landfill sites.

In the end, the government is of the view that this would improve sanitation, especially in the cities, and solve the floods resulting from heavy downpours, and improve access to basic infrastructure and services in the targeted communities.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Information Minister added, would embark on a tour of the Volta Region on November 4, 2019. This will allow him to meet with the Regional Security Council at Ho, meet with the traditional leaders in the region, and also go to Adaklu and Akatsi to inspect some infrastructural projects, and visit some selected Senior High Schools on the same day.

The Ministry expressed that the President would, through this visit, see the progress of some projects the government was doing in the region, as he interacts with the people to hear heir problems and roll out plans to get them solved. He would be back at his residence in Accra on November 5, 2019.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), who attended the conference, said her sector had decided to celebrate this year’s Africa Youth Day with a series of activities, which are going to be aired from November 1.