SOCO project will promote cohesion, equitable devt — Dan Botwe

The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Daniel Botwe, has said that the implementation of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project is to promote social cohesion and equitable development in the northern part of the country.

He said it would also help bridge the development gap between the north and the south.

The $150 million programme is being implemented by the MLGDRD, in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), to improve economic activities in six regions of the north that had been hit by food insecurity, climate change, conflict and violence, particularly in the Sahel region.

It is being implemented in 48 MMDAs across six regions, namely - Oti, Upper East, Upper West, Northern, North East and Savannah.

The project, which was launched in May this year, had since been rolled out in all the beneficiary regions, and would serve as a catalyst for addressing some of the key emerging and recurring challenges.

The minister was speaking at a maiden regional development forum in northern Ghana in Tamale, the Northern regional capital, yesterday, on the theme: “A policy thrust: Achieving equitable and balanced development through effective project delivery in northern Ghana”.

Event

The event, which was organised by MLGDRD, in collaboration with the NDPC, had participants from the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), civil society organisations and traditional authorities, among others.

They deliberated on key issues impacting development and resilience of the north.

It formed part of the five-year SOCO project which is being funded by the World Bank.

It is also expected to deliver about 1,406 socio-economic community level climate change resilient infrastructure through a community-driven approach.

Concerns

Mr Botwe observed that despite the presence of many NGOs and other agencies in the north, the area was still faced with numerous development challenges, describing the situation as worrying.

He said it was also largely due to the fragmented and uncoordinated activities of development partners, coupled with the lack of proper tracking of interventions to ascertain progress and obtain evidence for policy direction and decision-making.

While reiterating the government’s resolve to continue to initiate interventions geared towards enhancing growth, the minister urged the chiefs and people to hold their respective district assemblies accountable for any lapses on their part.

Collaboration

The Vice-Chairman of the NDPC, David Quaye Annang, called for effective collaboration between the government and various stakeholders to help narrow the development gap between the north and the south through the implementation of cutting-edge interventions.

He said the forum which was the first in a series will offer the commission an opportunity to initiate a bigger conversation on development issues and set the pace for other regions to follow.

For his part, the Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Saibu, commended both the MLGDRD and the NDPC for organising the forum which he said would go a long way to chart a new path of development in the area.