ALL SET FOR NR POWER PROJECT (PAGE 3, JUNE 16, 2010)

A RURAL electrification project for the Northern Regions estimated at $300 million is scheduled to take off this year.
The initiative is to facilitate socio-economic activities at the beneficiary communities.
At the inauguration of an electrification project for Fooshegu, a farming community approximately six miles from Tamale, the Minister for Communications, Mr Harruna Iddrisu, said $130 million of the amount would be spent on the electrification project in the Northern Region; $90 million on a similar project in the Upper East Region, while $80million would be spent in the Upper West Region.
Mr Iddrisu, also a Member of Parliament for Tamale South, therefore, gave an assurance that by the close of the government’s four-year mandate, majority of communities in those areas would have been connected to the national grid.
He explained that funding for the two-year project was secured from the Chinese Government and “not from the United States Eximbank as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wanted Ghanaians to believe at one of its recent press conferences”.
Mr Iddrisu, therefore, described the assertion by the NPP that the funding for the project was secured under the tenure of President Kufuor’s administration as misleading.
He, therefore, entreated the NPP to stop the unnecessary politicking of government development projects and reminded them that in any case, “under the directive principles of State policy, the government has the responsibility to continue ongoing projects”.
The MP further explained that the realisation of the Fooshegu project was a dream come true as it formed part of his campaign promises to the people during the 2008 electioneering.
It is the latest of such projects to be undertaken by the MP and several communities have already benefited from the project in the constituency. The minister, however, assured all other needy communities who were yet to get their share of the project to remain calm as efforts were being made to address their needs.
He also said the government had reviewed its policy on self-help rural electrification projects where the people were made to acquire the electrical poles and that now, “the cost of those poles will be borne by the government and the District Assemblies”.
The MP expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Energy and all those who supported in the actualisation of the project.