Govt secures US$3m to expand Yendi water system– Veep

The government has secured $3 million for the expansion of the Yendi water supply system in the Northern Region, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced.

The execution of the project will help address the perennial water shortage faced by the people of Yendi and its surrounding communities during the dry season.

Dr Bawumia announced this when he paid a courtesy call on the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya-Na Yakubu Abdulai Andani, at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi yesterday.

Appreciation

The Vice-President, who was accompanied by the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Sa-eed, is in the region to pay a courtesy call on two paramountcies, the Dagbon and the Gonja traditional councils, to express the appreciation of the government to the chiefs and people for the support they offered them during last year’s electioneering.

“We are aware of the water crisis in Yendi and we would help address it”, he stated.

Dr Bawumia said the government would also upgrade the Dagbon State Technical Senior High School (SHS) into a model one and equip it with the needed infrastructure to ensure quality education.

Electoral promises

On the promises made during the electioneering, the Vice-President said the government had started working to fulfil them.

“Knowing that majority of our people are into agriculture, we have started rolling out the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme,” he said.

He added that the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, apart from making the country food sufficient, was also to create jobs and put Ghana onto the path of progress and prosperity.

Fertiliser subsidy

Dr Bawumia said in line with the effort to support the agriculture sector, the government had made fertilser available at a subsidised rate of 50 per cent to all farmers to increase food production and the incomes of farmers.

Aside from the fertiliser subsidy, he said the government was also supporting farmers with tractors and other farming equipment for the success of the  Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

Dr Bawumia stated that another priority area of the government was to create job opportunities for the youth and that it would not relent in that effort.

Peace initiative

The Vice-President commended the Regent of Dagbon for his visit to the Regent of Tolon, which he said, indicated that peace was being consolidated in the region.

He called for the support of the chiefs and people of Yendi to enable the government to fulfil the mandate entrusted to it by Ghanaians.

The Regent, Kampakuya-Na Andani, expressed gratitude to the Vice-President for the visit and thanked the government for its intention to help address the water situation in Yendi.

The Vice-President also visited the Boli-Lana, Mohamadu Abdulai, at his palace.