The North East Regional minister Mr. Yidana Zakaria has said that the impact of the region’s share of the big SOCO project package has been great on the beneficiary communities across the length and breath of the young region.

Mr. Yidana who made these known in a recent media engagement at Nalerigu, the regional capital indicated that under the project substantial investments were made in key sectors of the local economy which directly impacted the well-being of the people in the year 2023.

According to the regional minister 9 schools were put up to ensure more children have access to quality education, 8 health facilities were also built enhancing healthcare services for the people, 9 rural market structures constructed providing opportunities for local traders and boosting economic growth in these communities, 2 rural roads were also constructed to facilitate better connectivity and access within the region.

In the area of water and sanitation he said 18 WASH facilities were put up for an improved hygiene and access to clean water in underserved communities in addition to the 4 youth development centres implemented offering valuable opportunities for young people to engage in meaningful activities and skills development.

These efforts he intimated have culminated in the 51 projects dotted around the North East Region.

In 2024 he said 89 subprojects were earmarked for implementation in the region as indicated below; 23 school infrastructure, 5 CHPS Compounds, 18 social infrastructure, 39 WASH facilities, a fire service bungalow as well as 3 equipment and other supplies.

Additionally, the minister said about 400 Common Interest Groups were expected to benefit from the Local Economic Development, LED Grant Model which would eventually benefit over 8,000 people of the region. Some of the notable activities of the youth engagement component he said would include youth parliaments and debates, intercultural dance displays, inter-cluster football competitions, youth sensitization and many interested youth program.

Mr.Yidana announced that award letters were being issued out and contractors were being taken to the various project sites for site possessions.

In a concluding remark, he said the SOCO project received unwavering support from the President and Vice President who doubled as the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, NPP. As a resulit of the success stories of the project so far the government was considering request for additional financing to expand in order to benefit the remaining 16 non-beneficiary districts in the six implementing regions of Ghana.

Source – gbcuraonline.com

The North East Regional Minister Mr. Yidana Zakaria bemoaned expressions by opposition political elements that the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion, SOCO Project was not a Non-Governmental Organisation but a Government of Ghana project in partnership with the World Bank calling on the media and the general public to disregard statements being made that SOCO project communities were selected based on political affiliations. Hon. Yidana made these known during a media engagement on the Phase 1 completed SOCO projects of the North East Region in Nalerigu the regional capital.

He indicated that the project was being implemented in three components such as Infrastructure, Local Economic Development and Youth led adding that it captured 48 out of 64 Districts of the North as beneficiaries involving 1,700 communities.

Describing it as a game changer for the five regions of the north, Hon. Yidana said the five year World Bank funded project was being implemented in phases by the Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.. He also stated that the project saw the execution of 530 infrastructural subprojects across the operational area of SOCO with an estimated investment of GHC 184,777,.742.07 funded from Ghana’s USD150 million package from the USD450 million initial released for the SOCO Project.

Mr. Yidana intimated that the project was designed to address the complex challenges faced by the northern regions of the Gulf of Guinea countries such as Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin adding these regions have long been grappling with vulnerabilities as food insecurity, climate change, conflict and violence which led to high levels of fragility. He said that the aforementioned challenges made some members of the youth and communities susceptible to extremist ideologies which further exacerbated regional instability saying it was in the light of these that the SOCO project sought to support the most affected areas in Ghana’s Upper East, Upper West, Northern, North East, Savannah and Oti Regions. The minister who gave the breakdown of the 530 projects as 33 roads and culverts, 59 classroom blocks with teacher accommodations, 73 rural markets, 66 health facilities as well as 210 water systems added that the tangible impact of the project has been the over 6,200 jobs involving 3,800 unskilled labour opportunities, 2,000 skilled labour positions and 426 community facilitator roles.

Mr. Yidana further indicated that through the engagement on infrastructure sites, 3, 748 individuals had earned GHC 5,379,914 during the first year of project implementation. He added that 24,652 women with productive assets such as tools, materials and equipment received support from the project for enhance greater economic independence.

The project according to him strengthened social cohesion, peace and unity as well as efforts to prevent violent extremism especially during sensitive political periods which led to the establishment of 8 new sports facilities serving over 8,000, a platform for youth engagement and community interaction. Project organised 20 sporting events and 15 cultural festival which brought together communities fostering unity and mutual understanding.

The minister therefore called on all stakeholders including traditional rulers, opinion leaders and community members to support moves towards ensuring the sustainance of peace so as to enhance the impact of these projects on the beneficiary communities. The absence of peace according to him meant the withdrawal of World Bank support thereby spelling doom for the project communities.

Responding to some questions from the media, Mr. Alhassan Osman, a CDD/CB specialist of SOCO explained that the criteria for selecting project communities included; poverty and inclusivity, exposer to climate change risks, security risk and proximity to border among other factors.

Source – gbcuraonline.com

The District Chief Executive for the Nabdam District Assembly, Agnes Anamoo has called on community facilitators of the Social Cohesion Project, (SOCO) to rededicate their efforts towards the achievement of the goals of the project in the District saying the project was so dear to the heart of the Assembly as it was prepared to lend the needed support in the form of logistics for the success of the project.

The DCE made this known at a short ceremony held at the forecourt of the Nabdam District Assembly when she handed 6 moto bikes to the project facilitators to enhance their mobility to enable them monitor and supervise the progress of this project aimed at addressing some pressing needs of the people of area.

Whilst cautioning facilitators against the abuse of the moto bikes, the DCE advised them to take very good care of them so as to drive maximum benefit out of the machines adding that they should always ride them with their crash helmets on their heads since their welfare mattered most to them.

The DCE further hinted that the implementation of the SOCO project would ensure the execution of a number of beneficial projects for people of the District.She indicated that the SOCO project was being implemented in four African countries namely; Ghana, Togo, La Cote D’Ivore and Benin was aimed at supporting the deprived areas in the in the above mentioned countries thereby alleviating poverty, educational assistance and the health needs of residents in the beneficiary countries.

The DCE lamented that though the bikes were few and could not be enough to cater for all of them at the same time she trusted they could found them useful as they look further to mobilise more support for enhanced operations.
Receiving the items, one of the facilitators, Animah Daniel thanked the DCE on behalf of his colleagues for the support pledging they would use the moto bikes for the purpose for which they were given.

Source : gbcuraonline.com