President John Mahama says government has allocated GH¢1 billion to the Bawku Revitalisation Fund, with improved security in the area now paving the way for stalled development projects to resume.
Inaugurating the committee that will oversee the fund at the Jubilee House on August 26, President Mahama said government wants Bawku to recapture its former glory as a major commercial centre in Ghana.
The four-member Committee is chaired by the Finance Minister, Dr Casiel Ato Forson. Other members are; Mahama Ayariga -MP for Bawku Central and Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, HRM Cletus Abugri -Chief of Timpane and Donatus Akamugri Atanga -Upper East Regional Minister
President Mahama said improved security in the area now provides an opportunity to begin implementing the GH¢1 billion revitalisation programme.
He said the fund will support infrastructure and other interventions considered necessary by the committee, with as many districts in the Bawku area as possible expected to benefit.
“There was quite an eruption since then and I want to use this opportunity to commend the security services for remaining firm and taking action to make sure that Bawku becomes safe and secure again, so that people can go about their normal duties,” he said.
He noted though that, ” It’s taken quite some time but I’m happy to receive the reports that Bawku is safer, it’s quieter, we don’t hear gunshots again at night, the kind of murders that took place with impunity have abated and at the time that I received the report I announced the Bawku Revitalization Fund to be disbursed by a committee chaired by the finance minister.”
The President further stated that, “The allocation for the Bawku Revitalization Fund has been made and it is 1 billion Ghana Cedis but I’m happy that now we have the opportunity to go back and continue the development so that the people of the area would benefit from all the projects that we’ve been doing so that Bawku will get its fair share of the national cake.”
President Mahama was hopeful that the Committee will help restore Bawku to its former self.
“So, today we’ve gathered to inaugurate the committee that will be steering the Revitalization Fund. It will go to provision of infrastructure and any other, you know, areas that the committee deems fit and we expect that as many districts within the Bawku area will benefit from the Revitalization Fund,” he urged.
