Mineral Development Fund commends Ellembelle District
The Office of the Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund has commended the Ellembelle District Assembly for the judicious use of the fund to support educational infrastructure to the benefit of the people.
The Administrator of Minerals Development Fund at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Dr Norris K. Hammah, said it was gratifying to note that the assembly had used the fund for the construction of fully furnished five-unit classroom blocks.
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Mineral royalty
Speaking at the presentation of computers to some of the schools in the district, Dr Hammah said during the inspection, they realised that different communities had benefited from the fund.
“We are also impressed that the Ellembelle District did not only build structures but they were well equipped with staff common rooms, washrooms, libraries, computer laboratories and fully furnished classrooms which create a perfect ambiance for teaching and learning,” he said.
The fund, he said, was allocated to stakeholders under the sector ministry, adding, “Out of this allocation a portion is given to the administrator of stool lands, 55 per cent is given to district assemblies and 45 per cent for traditional authorities.”
Development project
He said the law indicates that about 20 per cent of the fund be allocated to the community for development of which the local management committee sits and discusses what development issues they wish to channel the money to.
“In Ellembelle, I must say that the District Chief Executive and his team have channeled the district’s allocation to a good use, which is a shining example that other assemblies have to emulate,” he said.
“At the Minerals Development Fund, we do not just give money out without following what the money is being used for – we have been to many districts, but the truth is that in Ellembelle we are impressed with commitment to education and quality of projects executed,” he said.
At all levels, he said, the fund had supported a lot of development projects across the country to the benefit of the people,adding that they would continue to ensure that what was allocated to the people went to their benefit.
Educational infrastructure
For his part, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle, Mr Kwasi Bonzoh, said the people of Ellembelle deserve to benefit from the percentage of royalties.
He said the assembly focused on improving education infrastructure, since it forms the key foundation to development of every nation, “the reason the Local Development Committee decided to invest its portion of the fund in educational infrastructure”.
He said since the government took over the leadership of the country; the country’s education sector had seen tremendous improvement, a feat that must be consolidated at the local level. “We are therefore committed to improving the educational infrastructure at the local level and building the confidence of the people,” the DCE emphasised.
Mr Bonzoh assured the communities that they would all receive their share of the infrastructure development project shortly as the assembly continued to work in other areas of development.
Maintenance
Mr Bonzoh disclosed that there were also plans to construct nurses’ quarters to house healthcare workers in the district to serve as mode of attraction to those posted to the area.
Ellembelle, one of the districts for mining in the region, he said, would continue to receive royalties hence the need for frequent infrastructure development projects to meet the needs of the people and spur growth.
Maintenance being one of the challenges that government financed projects face, Mr Bonzoh entreated School Management Committees and other city development authorities to place projects on the highest level of maintenance to extend their lifespan in order to benefit both current and future generations.