3 Secondary Cities projects inaugurated at Dormaa, Berekum

Three projects in the Bono Region to improve the local economy of the area have been inaugurated. While Dormaa Ahenkro benefited from a transport terminal, the Berekum Municipality had both a transport terminal and a market. 

The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, inaugurated the facilities at separate ceremonies at Dormaa Ahenkro and Berekum.

Secondary Cities project

The projects were executed under the World Bank-funded Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP) initiated by the MLGDRD.

The government secured a $245 million Urban Development Grant (UDG) to execute the projects in 38 municipalities according to their preferences.

It is a performance-based grant, in which the participating assemblies will be assessed annually and encouraged to engage more actively with urban development issues, to improve the quality of urban infrastructure and services.

The two municipalities, which have already benefited from UDG One, Two and Three, are expected to benefit from UDG Four and Five under the programme.

The Dormaa Ahenkro transport terminal consists of fire, ambulance and police stations, a storey building that is made up of 21 lockable stores and six offices.

It also has places of convenience, a waiting canopy and a checkpoint for the collection of revenue for the assembly.

The multi-purpose facility also has a pavement area of 11,235 square metres to serve as a lorry park, a fence for security, streetlights to improve visibility at night and a mechanised borehole to provide water supply.

The project was to provide a larger space for vehicle operators at Dormaa Ahenkro due to the congestion at the old lorry station.

Berekum projects

The Berekum Thursday Market constructed under UDG Three has 60 lockable stores, a health facility and a fire post, as well as a toilet facility with baths and urinals.

Part of the Berekum Thursday Market

It also has 56-unit lockable stores, a meat shop, open stalls, a pavilion, sheds, a fire hydrant, a traffic signal and streetlights, while the UDG Two component has two-storey 40-unit lockable stores, a banking hall and offices.

The Berekum Transport Terminal has ancillaries such as a police post, passengers' waiting area, tollbooth and ticketing room, among others.

Critical role

Speaking to journalists at Berekum after the inauguration, Mr Korsah said the projects would play critical roles in reviving socio-economic activities in the programme-implemented areas.

Mr Korsah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Techiman South, said the government had executed many other projects that had benefited Ghanaians, adding: "The government is delivering and it is our wish that Ghanaians renew our mandate".

He said the programme was ongoing, adding that work on UDG One, Two and Three had been completed in the two municipalities, while UDG Four and Five were at various stages of completion.

Dormaa project

At Dormaa Ahenkro, the MP for the Dormaa Central Constituency, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, said the transport terminal had created employment for some youth in the area.

For his part, the Sanaahene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Baffour Dr Kwadwo Damoah Afari, commended the government for the projects, saying the Dormaa Ahenkro township was growing rapidly and the old lorry station could no longer accommodate both the human and vehicular traffic congestion.

Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh