Regional News of Thursday, 1 September 2022
Source: Nana Peprah
2022-09-01Pru West GPSNP beneficiaries praise government for initiative but decry snakebites, cattle disruption
Some beneficiaries of the initiative
Beneficiaries of the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project (GPSNP) in the Pru West District of the Bono East region have commended the government for the program which has rescued them from abject poverty.
According to them, the project has salvaged most of them from difficulties and they are very thankful to the government and ministry of local government and
Read full articlerural government for such a wonderful initiative.
"We had no jobs and nothing to rely on, but this initiative has really come to help. We now work and get paid on this cashew plantation project," they noted.
The workers said this in an interview with this reporter after they had been visited by the deputy minister of local government and rural development, Hon. Collins Ntim as part of his monitoring and assessment tour in the region.
Giving an account of some challenges that confront them in their field of work, the beneficiaries, despite the initial praise on the government, complained bitterly over how their activities had been disrupted by Fulani herdsmen and their cattle.
According to them, most of these armed Fulani herdsmen usually storm their project site with cattle to cause a lot of destruction which has been a source of worry in their activities.
They also lamented snakebites where they indicated that lack of protective gear such as wellington boots, hand gloves, etc had been the real cause.
They, therefore, pleaded with the government through the ministry of local government and rural development for immediate intervention.
Some also lamented over some challenges with their biometric system which sometimes caused delays in their salaries.
Mr. Daniel Nnebini, the Pru West District Planning Officer, commenting on the issue, said, the situation had been a source of worry to the assembly and reiterated the assembly's effort to curb it.
He, therefore, pleaded with the ministry, through the deputy sector minister, Hon. Collins Ntim, to immediately intervene to help the project completely achieve its success story.
Addressing a gathering of beneficiaries at a cashew project site in Damankwanta within the Pru West district, the deputy minister, Hon. Collins Ntim commended district supervising officers and the beneficiaries for their commitment to the project and however entreated them to keep up with the good work.
The deputy minister visited the Pru West district as part of his monitoring and evaluation tour in three regions such as Bono East, Bono, and Ahafo to inspect the progress of work on the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project (GPSNP), where the beneficiaries made such an appeal.
He however pledged the government's dedicated effort to achieve the dream of poverty eradication and promised how the ministry was ready to intervene in their challenge.
Hon. Collins Ntim finally urged the district supervising officers to do follow-ups on the biometric data of beneficiaries who had been confronted with some challenges. He said all wages were going to be paid after the challenges on the biometric system of those complainants had been resolved.
The minister who started his visit on Tuesday went to districts such as Sene East, Pru West, and Nkoranza North, all in the Bono East region to inspect ongoing cashew plantation projects under the GPSNP.
