Eastern Region records massive developmental projects

…Two years UNDER Professor Mills’ Better Ghana Agenda

Compiled by Maxwell Okamafo Asamani Addo

EDUCATION
In the Eastern region since 2009 that the NDC government took office it has so
far made serious progress when it comes to massive infrastructure

In the area of education it has so far provided 263 dedicated educational
structures in the Region at an estimated cost of GH54.52M. Some of the projects
are completed and being put to use while others are at various levels of
completion.
Some of the facilities include124 classroom projects under the “School under
Tress and Emergency Intervention Programmes”.The beneficiary schools include
Kadikope Primary, Tumfa Methodist Primary and Nyamebekyere Primary in the
Asuogyaman, Atiwa and Akuapem North Districts respectively..
The rest are Dormitories, Libraries, ICT Centres, Administration Blocks,Dinning
Hall and Teachers’ Flats. These structures are to be found in
Technical/Vocational Schools, Colleges of Education, Institutions for the
Handicapped and Senior High Schools. Some of the schools are Kade Senior High
Technical School, Akrso Senior High School, Mpraeso Senior High School,
Koforidua Senior High Technical School, Asesewa Senior High School and Suhum
Presby Senior High School.
Under the Phase 2 of the School under Trees and Basic Schools Rehabilitations
Programme (SUTBREP), the Region will construct seventy-two (72) new projects
this year in all the Districts and Municipalities. These include classrooms,
Dinning halls with kitchen and Kindergarten blocks with Ancillary Facilities
HEALTH
In the Health Sector, government has initiated seventy-four (74) Health and
Sanitation Projects at a cost of GH2, 978, 000.00. Some of these projects have
been completed and are being used while others are at various stages of
completion. The projects include X-ray Department, Laboratories, Emergency
Wards, Staff Bungalow, CHIP Centres, Community Clinics and Eye Clinics.
COMMUNITY WATER
When it comes to water within the last two years, the NDC Government in
collaboration with Development Partners has improved the supply of potable water
to many rural communities. These include;
1. Four (4) small town water system located at Maame Krobo and Ekye
Amanfrom in the Kwahu North District, Dwenase/Apinaman and Akyem Wenchi in
the Kwaebibirem District
2. Seventy-one (71) successfully drilled Bore hole and
3. Rehabilitation of sixty-five (65) dysfunctional bore holes.

The total cost of constructing these facilities is a little over four million
Ghana Cedis (GH4.0M). Additionally, Government has approved the construction of
four hundred and eighty (480) boreholes to be sited in various communities in
all the District/Municipalities in the Region this year..
SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME
The School Feeding Programme started on a pilot basis in very few selected
schools like Nwingo L/A Primary in the Birim North District but has now been
extended to cover one hundred and forty-six(146) schools in the region with a
total number of fifty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-three (53,453)
children being beneficiaries.
All basic schools in the region are benefiting from the Capitation Grant. A
Government subsidy of GH65.85 per student/year is being paid to all 2nd Cycle
Institutions in the region
FREE EXERCISE BOOKS PROGRAMME
Under the Free Exercise Books Programme, government has distributed 4,809,004
books to school children to enhance their performance.
FREE SCHOOL UNIFORM INTERVENTION
The free School Uniform Intervention Programme has seen Government supply to
schools in the various Districts and Municipalities in the region a total of
seventy thousand (70,000) uniforms to motivate the children and also reduce the
financial burden of parents.
MICROFINANCE AND SMALL LOAN CENTRE (MASLOC)
In Eastern Region, MASLOC is operating in all the twenty-one (21) Districts and
Municipalities with staff strength of eight (8). Since 2010, the centre has
disbursed a total amount of One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Nine
Hundred Ghana Cedis (1,250,900) to one hundred and twenty-five (125) groups with
a total membership of three thousand and sixty-seven (3,067)
All the twenty-one (21) MDAs in the region have benefited from the twelve (12)
Modules of the National Youth Employment Programme. So far 17,392 youths are
employed in the Programme.

ROAD SECTOR
n the road sector, government has carried out the rehabilitation/reshaping work
on some of the very deplorable roads in the region.
Currently, fifteen (15) Feeder Road Projects covering a total distance of 90km
are under construction in various parts of the region. The nature of work
involved includes Surfacing, Upgrading, Rehabilitation and Spot Improvement. The
total cost of these projects stands at GH6, 218,600.00.
The projects include the following;

Spot Improvement on the 17km Abenase-Akokoaso (17.0km) road in the Akyeamansa
District.
1. Rehabilitation of Frankadua-Afoda (3.0km) Feeder road in the Asuogyaman
District.
2. Up-grading of Oda-Nkwanta-Apupusu Valley road (6.55km) in the Birim
Central Municipality.
3. Surfacing of Kwabeng and Begoro town roads.

Under the labour Based Programme of the Feeder Road Departmant, six (6) roads
with a total distance of 60km have been awarded for rehabilitation and spot
improvement at the total cost of GH5,881.00. The roads include the
Huhunya-Togodo Feeder road, Ayemesu-Gbortsonya road, Asama-Lakpa road and three
others.
The Department of Urban Roads which currently operates only within the New
Juaben Municipality has since 2009 to date used GH13.4m on Routine Maintenance,
Periodic Maintenance and Road Development works.
Specific Works carried out include rehabilitation of the Pentua Walla road,
surfacing of the Nyamekrom Road and upgrading of the Asokorekuma road.
One major road project which has been constructed within the New Juaben
Municipality under the supervision of the Urban Roads Department is the 9km
Koforidua By-pass (Kasardjan road) which runs from Adweso in the South to Oyoko
in the North.
Messrs KASSARDJAN in the mid 1970’s opened and formed the road under the Ghana
Highway Authority. Works were abandoned for many years because of funding
challenges. The project was re-awarded in 2007 and has been completed together
with its complement of Traffic Lights.

The cost of the project is GH10, 423,367.30. The construction of this roads has
to some extent, decongested the central Business District of Koforidua. It is
one of the projects that His Excellency will be commissioning today.

From 2009 to-date, the Ghana Highway Authority has successfully completed the
tarring of the following roads.
Ø Mpraeso Town Roads - 2km
Ø Asamankese Town Road - 2km
Ø Nsawam Town Road - 11.5km
Ø Nkawkaw-Obomeng Road - 6.5km

Other projects which are on-going include the Akim Oda-Wenchi (10km) road,
Koforidua-Bunso (24km) road and the New Abirem-Ntronnang-Akim Oda (18km) road.
Three (3) major on-going projects on the Accra-Kumasi dual-carriage road which
form an integral part of the international road network from Accra to Burkina
Faso are the Nsawam By-pass, the Nkawkaw By-pass and the Suhum Inter-change. The
Inter-change which is on His Excellency’s Programme for inspection is about 70%
complete.

BRIDGES
Thirteen 913) bridges are currently under construction on a number of feeder
roads in the region.
1. Five (5) Spanish bridges being constructed at specific points across the
following rivers;
i. River Densu on the Odumase-Brepro feeder road
ii. River Birim on Akyem Adukrom-Agyapomaa feeder road
iii. River Akrum on the Ayiensu Jn-Ayiensu feeder road
iv. River Asukese on the Anyinase Jn-Otwereso road.
v. River Dawador on the Dawa juanyaa Sekesua feeder road

The total cost of these bridges is GH3, 017,200.

2. Another five of the bridges are being constructed under the Acrow Bridges
Programme across the Merepong, Alabo and Akrum rivers at Akyem Akrong, Frankadua
and Asegye respectively. Two of the bridges are across river Ponpon at Nsutapong
and Osuboi. The total cost is GH2, 991,900.

3. Three of the bridges are being constructed under the BADEA Project across the
river Aboabo between Kade and Akyem Wenchi, river Ochi between Akyem Achiase and
Amanfopong and river Birim near Kade. The total cost of these bridges is GH9,
416,943.81.
MOBILE MAINTENANCE UNIT OF GHA
The Mobile Maintenance Unit of the Ghana Highway Authority has played a pivotal
role in ensuring the motorability of the roads in the Southern Sector of the
country. The recent provision of durable road making equipment by Government to
the Unit has greatly facilitated the work of the unit. These include;
1. 8No. High Capacity Volvo Tipper Trucks
2. 2No. Motor Graders
3. 2No. Pale Loaders
4. 3No. Vibratory Rollers
5. 1No. Backhoe (Excavator)
ENERGY
In the Energy Sector, the Electricity Company of Ghana is carrying out two major
projects at Koforidua and Akyem Oda. In Koforidua, a new switching station is
under construction at Mile 50 while in Akyem Oda, upgrading of the Primary
substation is being implemented.
Other projects currently in progress include the conversion of 11kv feeder to
33kv feeder for Tafo-Ayinam-Begoro and Tafo-Suhum Kibi lines. It is anticipation
of government that when these projects are completed, the supply of power to the
affected communities would be greatly improved.
Some few weeks ago President Mills as part of his regional visit to the eastern
region toured and commissioned so of these facilities that have been mentioned.

Some of the places that he visited the commissioning of a SHS classroom and
dormitory block for Asesewa SHS.

He also commissioned an ECG substation in Adweso which also stated under his
administration and also inspected ongoing Getfund projects in the Koforidua
polytechnic and also commissioned the kofridua bye pass road and traffic lights
called the kassadjan road
He also commissioned an SHS dometry block at KOTECh in koforidua then also
commissioned a dometry block at Begro Presby SHS.
President Mills also visited the Afram plains on board Pontoon Nana Kwesi
Gyimah, President Mills indicated that government has ordered a number of
ferries so that the people in the Afram plains and beyond can travel on over the
Volta Lake in comfort so as to reduce the frequent breakdown and inconveniences
resulting in the perishing of foodstuffs.

And expressed satisfaction with the level of developments that have taken place
in the last two years in the area and maintained that government will not relent
in actualizing the promises he made.

In Afram plains President Mills visited Mame krobo and inaugurated a water
project for and Echi Amanfrom and donated an outboard motor to them then also
visited Donkokrom Agricultural SHS then and commissioned a girls dometry block,
then thenced to Amankwaa krom Fisheries Technical Institute where he
commissioned a six unit classroom block.
President Mills tour also took him to The Kwahu East District Assembly where
government has initiated 82 development projects including 34 educational
infrastructures in the various communities over the past two and a half years
and also inaugurated a GH¢1.3m lorry park and a durbar ground at Abetifi .

The Chinese government is also assisting the government to construct a district
hospital at Abetifi.


He also commissioned six unit classroom blocks in Kwawu Bepong then also
commissioned a six unit classroom block in Nkwatia secondary technical and also
visited

The visit also took the President to theAbuakwa State College where he inspected
a six unit classroom block then also cut a sod for work to begin on a 25 mitre
steel bridge on the 8.3 km on the Akyem Adukrom-Agyapomaa Asafo feeder roads
which upon completion the 1 million Ghana cedis bridge would facilitate movement
of people and farm produce to and from the towns to kyebi.

President Mills as part of his visit also inspected progress of work on the
Suhum interchange project where the engineer informed President Mills that the
project will be completed in the next two months.



The Suhum interchange is one of the major governments of Ghana projects
inherited by the NDC President Millscontinued to Anum Apapam where he cut sod
for the 33 km kilometre Suhum Asamankese road and then also commissioned a
nurses block at Akyem Mansothey cut a sod for work to begin on the
reconstruction of the Oda Lorry station also inaugurated a new two storey
dometry block for the Akroso SHS girls Dometry.