HON. ELIZABETH PIJIT POYARI DURING THE TERMINAL MEETING OF THE BUNKPURUGU/YUNYOO DISTRICT ASSEMBLY HELD ON FRIDAY STH SEPTEMBER.2006 AT BUNKPURUGU

HON PRESIDING MEMBER,
HON. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, HON. ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, HEADS OF DEPARTMENT,
THE PRESS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

Today’s General Assembly meeting is the terminal meeting of the Present Assembly. All Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in Ghana ceased to have force and effect as presently constituted by midnight of 4th September, 2006. Hon. Presiding Members have therefore been directed by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to ensure that final sessions or meetings of the Assemblies are convened for the purposes of dissolution on or before 20th September, 2006. The dissolution notice is applicable to all the corresponding sub¬structures notably the sub Metropolitan District Councils, Town, Zonal, Urban, Area Councils and Unit Committees.

Hon. Presiding Member
The revenue performance of this Assembly has degenerated seriously. As at August, 2006, the Assembly had collected ¢98,466,496.37 which represents 35% of the estimated revenue target of ¢280,475,000.00. I am there calling on the New Finance Officer to put in place measures to increase revenue and also measures to check revenue leakages. The contributions ofHon. Assembly members in helping to increase revenue is much needed. I am therefore appealing to Hon. Assembly members to help in the revenue mobilization drive of the Assembly.

Hon. Presiding Member.  The Assembly received an amount of ¢ 1 ,848,193,953.00 as its First quarter share of the District Assemblies Common Fund for 2006.
 The breakdown is as follows:


Status Report on Projects
Community Driven Initiative for Food Security (CIFS)
The Community Driven Initiative for Food Security has approved the food security proposals of Ten (10) beneficiary communities in 2005. It has released One Billion Cedis (¢I,OOO,OOO,OOO.OO) for the implementation of the proposals. Ten (10) Grain banks are to be constructed. Community Implementation Teams have been formed. The Assembly in conjunction with beneficiaries has engaged the services of suppliers to supply sand and other building materials. CIFS has also approved the District Wide Food Security proposal for the construction of an Irrigation Dam at the cost of (¢ 1 ,000,000,000.00). The Assembly’s counterpart fund for the project is ¢500 million cedis. CIF’S has also engaged BILF ACU as Partner Organization to prepare community action plans in 15 communities. BILF ACU has finished with the preparation of the community action plans and is putting finishing touches to the Area level plans.
 
Community Based Rural Development Project C.B.R.D.P
The Project has allocated (¢ 1 ,200,000,000.00) for the construction of 2 No. Three Classroom Block, Ten (10) Lockable Stores at Jimbale and 4No. Boreholes. The 2 No. Classroom Block at Jaminantong and Duklotuk have been awarded on contract and work is progressing steadily. Tender documents on the Ten (10) lockable market stores have been opened, and evaluation will be done after which contract will be awarded to the successful bidder. The drilling of the 2 No. Boreholes will soon be advertised for National Competitive bidding.

The Project also advertised for the completion of the Bunkpurugu Dam. The process has been put on hold due to the rains and work will start in November, 2006. The project has also undertaken the construction of Nasuan - Tambokrugu 1.8km road. Culverts have been constructed but the progress of work is hampered by the rains. The Project has also adopted three Area Councils and has assisted them to prepare Eighteen (18) Community Action Plans in each area. The project will support the Area Councils to implement the plan.

The Programme has supported the Assembly to prepare the 2006 - 2009 Medium Term Development Plan with an amount of (¢ 140,000,000). The Project has also approved Nine Billion Cedis (¢9,000,000,000) for the District. The fund is to be used for the construction of Classroom Blocks, Teachers’ Quaters, Health Facilities, Boreholes and Irrigation Dams. Part of the fund will also be used to strengthen the capacities of the District Assembly and Sub-District Structures.
 
The Programme has released Eight Hundred Million Cedis (¢800,000,000)for the construction of a Butchers Shop with an Abattoir at Bunkpurugu, Nurses Quarters at Nasuan and 1 No.3 Unit Classroom Block at Yunyoo. Contracts have been awarded to successful contractors to move to site to commence work on the projects.

HIV/AIDS
The District HIV/AIDS Committee vetted Proposals from four (4) NGOs and Nine (9) FBOs and CBOs. Out of these, two NGOs and five (5) CBOs proposals qualified for the implementation of the Multi Sectoral HIV / AIDS Programme for the First Call in 2006. The Assembly has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ghana Aids Commission to access Danida’s support of ¢60,000,000 each for the newly created District Assemblies. The amount is to be used for the procurement of computers baseline survey, and the training of District Response Management Team. The Christian Council of Ghana is also a major partner in the fight against HIV / AIDS in the District. It has donated (¢2,000,000) cash to the Bunkpurugu Health Centre for Care and Support Programmes. It has also promised (¢ 1 0,000,000) to the Support Group to provide Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. I wish to entreat Hon. Assemblymembers to continuously educate their electorate on the dangers of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. AIDS is real and everybody is at risk.

District Assemblies Common Fund Projects DACF
The constant and timely release of the District Assemblies Common Fund by the Government of the New Patriotic Party Government enabled the Assembly to put up many infrastructural projects in 2004. Below are some projects awarded in 2005.

1. Construction of Police Commander’s Bungalow at Bunkpurugu - 100% completed
2. Construction of Police Barracks -100% completed 
3. Construction of Doctor’s Bungalow at Binde -75% completed 
4. Cladding of Pavilions at Kambatiak, Guangbiang, Konchian-Gberuk and Nanpontbauk - 100% completed 
5. Re-roofing of Nakpanduri Presby, Yunyoo L/A, Zongo primary school and Dung-Laar Gberuk L/ A and all completed.

Government of Ghana/European Union Micro - Project Programme (GOG/EU)
E.U.lGOG Type ’A’ School at Toojing which was handed over by East Mamprusi is 98% completed. The District is a beneficiary of the 6th Micro Projects Programme. The Assembly has proposed Ten (10) Communities and Eleven (11) Projects for 2006.
They are as follows:

1. 4 No.3 Unit Classroom Blocks at Bunkpurugu Zongo J.S.S., Gbedauk Primary, Tambokrugu Primary and Tomoni Primary. Others are Early Childhood Development Centres at Nakpanduri D/ A Primary, Temaa Primary, rehabilitation of Clinics and CHIPS Compound at Gbingbani and Mozio respectively. In addition to the above, are Boreholes at Namgbin and Warehouse and office at Bunkpurugu.

Transport Sector Programme Support  II TSPS II
The Project has approved the District Annual Plan and Budget of two Billion and five hundred Million Cedis (¢2,500,000,000) for the District. The fund is to be used for the spot improvement ofYunyoo-Namongo, Yunyoo Bunbuna, and Bunkpurugu Bunbuna Feeder Roads. An office accommodation for the District Works Department has been awarded on contract. Part of the fund is to be used to purchase 1 No.4 x 4 Nissan Pick Up and office equipments. 3 Motor-Bikes have already been procured for DWD.

The Project has also provided an amount of Fifty Six Million Cedis (¢56,000,000) for the purchase of intermediate means of Transport for five Area Councils to ease the problem of carting farm produce to homes and Market Centres.

Supply of Farmtrac Tractors
The Assembly took delivery of three (3) Farm Trac Tractors from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture at the cost of (¢480,000,000). Two Hundred and Forty Million Cedis (¢240,000,000) was deducted from the 15t tranche of the DACF. The Assembly has since sold the tractors on hire purchase. The initial deposit is (¢60,000,000). The cost per tractor is ¢ 180,000,000 payable over two years. Each buyer is also to pay Fifteen Million Cedis ¢ 15,000,000 as cost of transportation. The move by Government is to assist farmers to expand their farms and increase productivity.

HIPC Projects
Three of the HIPC projects handed over by East Mamprusi have been completed. The projects are INo. 3 Unit Classroom Block at Bunkpurugu, 95%. INo. 3Unit Classroom Block at Nanyiar - 95%. The Nurses Quarters at Nasuan is about 85% and Temaa 95% Completed.

Educational Rforms
The Government of the New Patriotic Party acknowledges that for its agenda for Chapter Two ie Human Resource Development, private sector development and good governance to be achieved serious attention should be given to education. The reforms in the education sector are aimed at producing skilled Manpower and Capacity that are crucial for the Country’s goals.

I am therefore entreating parents to take advantage of the capitation grant and the Neped School Feeding Programme and others introduced by government to make education accessible to every child. I am sounding a note of warning to school authorities against the misuse of the capitation
grant and the selling of food items meant for school pupils.

Bunkpurugu Town Roads and Others
Tenders have been opened by the Regional Tender Committee on the Surfacing of Bunkpurugu Town Roads. Others roads are the spot improvement ofPagnatiik-Tatara and Najong - Kambatiak. The rehabilitation of other roads are under consideration.

Extension of National Electricity Grid
Government is working feverishly to supply additional cables and low tension poles for the completion of the extension of the national grid to Bunkpurugu and its environs.

National Youth Employment Employment
The National Youth Employment Programme was introduced by the N.P.P. Government to reduce unemployment in the Country. The Government does not see Military intervention as a threat again but unemployment. High unemployment levels can destabilize the nation. The Youth should therefore get themselves involved in this
programme.

The Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund has transferred an amount of ¢458,000,000 as the 2nd tranche of the 2005 Poverty Alleviation Fund’ and the 1 sl Quarter allocation of 2006 Poverty Alleviation Fund into the Account of the National Youth Employment Programme. The fund will be put to use immediately a directive is issued by the Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Environment.

The District has so far registered four hundred and fifty six (456) Youth on the following
modules.

• Rural Teaching - 178
• Youth in Agric Business (crop production) - 200 3. Auxiliary Nursing - 60 
• Community Protection Unit - 60 
• Youth in Agric Business (non crop) - 58

There are three cowpea farms in Yunyoo, Mozio and Kambagu ploughing was done and seedlings were provided by the District Office of the National Youth Employment. Twenty-five (25) people has been recruited to engage in Waste Management and Sanitation problems in the District. Five (5) out of the twenty-five are to be in-charge of beautification of towns. They will be provided with tools and logistics by Zoomlion Waste Management Experts in Accra.

Millennium Challenge Account
The Millennium Challenge Account provides assistance to development Countries that have exhibited enough commitment to good governance and transparency as well as prudent management of the economy.  The selection of Ghana among few Developing Countries to benefit from the Challenge  Account clearly demonstrates the commitment of the N.P.P. Government to good governance, transparency and accountability. The Beneficiary districts were selected based on agricultural potential of the area, potential from private sector involvement in Agricultural business and the Poverty level of the Area.

Even though our district is not part of the 23 selected Districts, the impact of the M.C.A. will not be limited to the beneficiary districts, but every part of the country. The promotion of agriculture will obviously lead to job creation in different parts of the country. This is because business activities like processing, storage, transportation will have multiplier effect on the entire country.
 

District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme
Below is the summarized status report of the scheme as at 31 sl July, 2006.

1. Total membership - 12,733
2. Total Exempt (Aged, Indigents, Children, SSNIT contributors and SSNIT Pensioners¬10,847 
3. Total Premium collected - ¢135,792,000 
4. Total ID Cards produced-12,180 
5. Total Hospital or Clinic attendance - 5,979 
6. OPD total attendance - 5,556 
7. IPD total attendance - 423 
8. Total amount paid to service providers - ¢ 154,927,012.72 
9. Administrative Support from District Assembly- from November, 2005 - January, 2006 - ¢ 153,000,000 
10. Administrative support from National Health Insurance Council to date - ¢ 150,000,000. 
11. No claims support from Council yet.

From the summarized status of the District Health Insurance Scheme, it could be seen that people are patronizing the scheme.
I will there call on those who have not registered to do so as soon as possible.

 Rev. Musah Lambong, a citizen of Bunkpurugu Resident in Canada and Mr. Namang and others who are also resident in Canada have donated two ambulances to the Bunkpurugu Health Centre.
I wish on behalf of the Chiefs and people of the district to extend our gratitude to them for their humanitarian gesture. May the Almightly Bless them and their families.
 
Hon. Presiding Member
The District level elections is slated for 26th September, 2006. I wish to entreat all contestants to go about their electioneering campaign with the highest degree of decorum and civility. In a democracy, political power belongs to the people that you, as a citizen, enjoy as and inalienable right and exercise as a civic duty when you vote at elections.

When you vote, you are exercising your right to choose. That is, you are able to choose who you want to represent you in government. In exercising your political power, you are able to influence the outcome of elections and, therefore, the choice of a Government or Assembly member. By voting to choose suitable representatives, you become involved in the decision making process at all levels of government. By getting yourself in the decision making process, you contribute to the improvement or strengthening of democracy.

I wish to entreat you to vote for people who are upright, honest, selfless and public spirited who have the potential of bringing development to their communities. I will avail myself with this opportunity to entreat women to get themselves involved in the forth-coming District level elections. The participation of women in local and national politics will help to empower them. I wish well all those who would like to come back to the Assembly.

For those who are not coming back, I wish to entreat you not to hesitate to come out with suggestions and contributions that will help in uplifting the image of this infant District. I will also continue to rely on you for advice if the need be. On this note, I wish to thank you once again for your meritorious services to the
Assembly.

Thank you.