Mr Alhassan Mohammed Sorugudoo, Sagnarigu District Chief Executive, has warned chiefs and other people who encroach on state lands to keep off, or have their properties demolished without compensation to pave way for development projects.

He said some chiefs and other community members had the habit of encroaching on state lands meant for development and stressed that such acts were derailing the development agenda of government, and appealed to Assembly Members to assist in the education for people to desist from land encroachment.

Mr Sorugodoo gave the warning at the first ordinary meeting of the Sagnarigu District Assembly, where members deliberated on development issues and matters paramount in the growth of the assembly.

Mr Sorugudoo made reference to encroachment on land meant for the construction of some two ring roads in the area, which according to him, was frustrating the construction process, and advised encroachers to give way before it is too late.

He mentioned the areas as Kalpohin School through to Nyanshegu old cemetery to the Agric Traffic light area where construction is to start soon to relieve the people of perennial flooding, but some people had encroached portions of the earmarked road.

On revenue mobilisation, he said management of the Assembly had put measures in place to improve its Internal Generated Funds (IGF) saying, On the basis of best practices, a revenue enhancement consultancy firm has been engaged to assist the assembly to bill and collect revenue.

He said areas of billing include the business operating permits, property rates and building permits and that receipts so far received from the firm were so encouraging and that the performance of the consultancy firm would justify the renew of the contract.

Mr Sorugudoo said development projects in the area since the creation of the Assembly were enormous, and that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had supported with the construction of so many schools in the area.

He mentioned the completion of a six-unit classroom block with other auxiliary facilities at Gbnayamni which had been commissioned and handed over to the beneficiary schools for use, while another six-unit classroom block with offices and stores attached at Taha with funding from SADA, was at the completion stage.

He also mentioned other eight school projects scattered around the district with joint sponsorship of the Ghana government and the USAID, which had been completed and handed over to authorities for use and assured that the assembly would continue to execute programmes beneficial to the people.

Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, and deputy Northern Regional Minister advised Assembly Members to work extra hard for the development of their electoral areas, to justify the confidence reposed in them to ensure that they were re-elected.

He said government would ensure the equitable distribution of the national cake, and gave the assurance that development projects would not elude any community in the country, stressing that governments Better Agenda would yield enough fruits for all Ghanaians to bear witness to renew its mandate in 2016.

GNA