Implementation of SOCO project:164 Motorbikes handed over to MDAs in Upper East

The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has handed over 164 motorbikes to all the 15 municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) in the region.

It formed part of the implementation of the five-year Gulf of Guinea Northern Region Social Cohesion (SOCO) project in the region, which is also being implemented in the Upper West, Oti, Northern, North-East and Savanna regions.

The SOCO project is a $150 million World Bank-funded project which is expected to deliver about 1,406 socio-economic community-level climate-resilient infrastructure through a community-driven approach.

Presenting the motorbikes to the various MDAs at the forecourt of his residence yesterday, Mr Yakubu said  the Regional Coordinating Council was happy to receive the motorbikes for onward distribution directly to the beneficiary MDAs.

He noted that each MDA had been divided into clusters, and that the motorbikes would go directly into the clusters in all the districts to effectively enhance the monitoring projects being executed.

He indicated that each cluster in all the MDAs would have facilitators who would use the motorbikes to go around to ensure that the right things were being done in relation to the project to ensure value for money.

He noted that from the onset of the project, the facilitators of the project, together with the district assemblies and the RCC, would keep an eye on the contractors undertaking all the projects to meet the required standards.

Life changing

The minister said the project would be a life-changing one at the end of its implementation, many of the development challenges confronting communities would be addressed.

Responding to a question on the maintenance of the motorbikes, he said in addition to ensuring that the motorbikes stood the test of time, there was budgetary allocation as part of the funding to maintain the motorbikes.

He charged the Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) and their staff to do their best possible to ensure the efficient implementation of the project to achieve the intended purposes.

The SOCO Project Zonal Coordinator for the Upper East and North-East regions, Samuel Larbi Agyarko, said the presentation of the motorbikes would make supervision of the project easier.

Motorbikes

On behalf of the MDCEs, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kassena Nankana West, Gerard Ataogye, noted that they would keep an eye on the usage of the motorbikes so that they were used for the purpose for which they were provided.

He said, “Just as we monitor other ongoing projects in various MDAs, we will ensure that the motorbikes are put to good use to stand the test of time,” and further expressed gratitude to the government for securing funding to undertake the project.

Writer’s email; gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh