Ministry presents vehicles, computers, tablets to Tamale SOCO Zonal Secretariat

The Tamale Zonal Secretariat of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO), has taken delivery of five pick-up vehicles, 24 computers and 59 tablets to facilitate the implementation of the project. SOCO is a US$ 450 million multi-country project being implemented in Ghana, Benin, Cote D’ Ivoire and Togo with support from the World Bank, and the Government of Ghana’s allocation is a total of US$ 150 million credit facility (Loan). The vehicles, would therefore, be used by the Tamale Zonal Secretariat and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council for official duties while each of the eight Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) benefiting from the project in the Northern Region would receive three computers each. The community facilitators in the MMDAs would also receive tablets to facilitate their work. The recepient MMDAs are Tamale Metropolis, Sagnarigu, Gushegu, Yendi, and Nanumba North Municipalities and Karaga, Saboba, and Tatali-Sangule Districts. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Decentralisation, presented the vehicles, and other equipment to the Tamale Zonal Secretariat for onward distribution to the beneficiary MMDAs. The Minister, who handed them over to the Coordinator of the Secretariat, underscored their importance towards the successful implementation of the project. He explained that the project aims at providing support to the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries that are hardest hit by fragilities due to food insecurity and climate change, conflict, and violence. The project is expected to finance investment in sub-projects such as feeder roads, small earth dams, boreholes, and social infrastructure such as markets, schools with complement of furniture, CHPS Compounds, ICT centres and recreational facilities such as astro turfs and parks. Mr Samuel Forson, Tamale Zonal Coordinator of SOCO, advised the MMDAs to take good care of the equipment and use them only for the activities of the project.

Source: Ghana News Agency