UE/R: SOCO PROJECT FACILITATORS URGED TO WORK HARD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – DCE NABDAM
By: Masahudu Jinkor
The Zonal office of the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion project, SOCO in collaboration with the Builsa South District Assembly completed and handed over five community projects at separate locations in the Builsa South Districtl.The projects included a two-three classroom blocks at Pintensa and Yuesa with boreholes respectively, a CHPS Compound at Tuedema, an abattoir as well as a 20 seater toilet facility with 4 shower facilities attached in the Fumbisi township.
Addressing the media after the various handing over ceremonies, the District Chief Executive for Builsa South, Madam Anne Musah described the various interventions by SOCO as timely adding that the newly built school block at Pintensa would accommodate the Fumbisi Model Gir’s Junior High School. She stated that the facolity with enough office space for the headmistress, 4 toilet facilities including a dressing room, three marker boards and a four unit urinary facility would go a long way to enhance teaching and learning. Madam Anne also believed that the existence of the girl’s school would increase enrolment and retention of the girl-child in school.
Receiving the keys to the school blocks on behalf of the heads, tutors, students and pupils, the District Director of Education Mr. Akum-Nyemi.was full of gratitude for SOCO and the Assembly for their timely response to the educational needs of the people. He appealed for a dormitory facility for the girls model school. He encouraged parents to patronize the school by sending the girl-child to the school and to support in running and maintening the school so that the investment ddi not become a waste.
The Headmistress of Fumbisi Girls Model School, Madam Fuseini Azintarib Sheila appealed for science and computer labs to enhance effective teaching and learning.
On the CHPS Compound Madam Anne, who handed over the keys to Mr. Emmanuel Kob-Puo, the District Director of health services indicated that it would make the needed health care services accessible to residents of the community and beyond. On his part, the district health director who was full of praise for the Assembly and SOCO said it would reduce the pressure on the district hospital in Fumbisi. He therefore called on residents to patronize and also develop proper maintenance culture for the facility so as to stand the test of time. The fability has two consulting rooms, a delivery room, dispensary,OPD and a three-in-one accommodation facility for staff.
Commissioning the abattoir, the DCE urged the environmental officer, the chief butcher and staff of the abattoir to ensure healthy animals were slaughtered at all times so consumers could enjoy wholesome meat at all times. Receiving the keys to the abattoir as well as the toilet facility, the District Environmental Officer, Madam Zaratu Musah assured the district authority and its partners that her outfit would ensure a cleaned abattoir where wholesome meat would be sold assuring also that the toilet facility which is located at Fumbisi lorry station would equally be put to good use Among the failities inside of the abattoir, there is a cold room with two deep freezers, office for the environmental officer, office for Chief Butcher, a 2000l capacity water tank, hooks for hanging of meat and two larged platforms for the preparation of fresh meat.
Interacting with the media after the various ceremonies, the Zonal SOCO Coordinator, Samuel Agyarko Larbi first of all thanked the traditional authorities who released lands for the structures of all the five projects saying his outfit enjoyed the co-operation between them as well as the District Assembly. According to Mr. Agyarko Larbi SOCO does not impose projects on communities but rather follows the recommendations made by the Assemblies after proper assesment of community needs.
He urged residents of the various project areas to take proper care of the facilities so as to drive maximum benefit from them. He appealed to chiefs of the beneficiary communities to owe the projects by helping the various facility managers to maintain and run them effectively assuring them of SOCO contnuos collaboration with Assembly and partners in that direction. He stated that SOCO is not a non-governmental organisation but a government of Ghana project geared towards addressing community needs with support from the District Assemblies adding 48 districts from the 6 regions of the north including the Oti Region have been beneficiaries of SOCO interventions with over 1002 different projects. Upper East alone acvording to him benefited 539 projects with the Builsa South District benefiting 41 including the 5 recently commissioned ones.
