One-million dollar per constituency to fund Development Authorities – Dr Bawumia

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said the-soon-to-be established Development Authorities under the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme will be funded through the one-million dollar per constituency funds to drive rural development.

He said the Development Authorities, which included Northern Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority and Coastal Development Authority, would receive funds equivalent to the number of constituencies that fell under them to implement their programmes.

He said the Northern Development Authority would receive the equivalent of 57 million dollars each year for its programmes.

Dr Bawumia said this when addressing the 18th congregation of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale on Saturday where over 2000 students from Navrongo, Nyankpala and Tamale campuses of the UDS graduated with various degrees and diplomas for the 2016/2017 academic year.

The congregation for the Wa Campus of UDS was held last weekend.

Dr Bawumia was not happy that many rural communities lacked access to potable water, sanitation facilities amongst other basic needs saying government was, therefore, positioning the Development Authorities to be the vehicle to drive rural development by addressing those basic needs.

He urged the soon-to-be established Development Authorities to partner UDS in their quest to bring development to communities because UDS’ students stayed in the communities and understood their needs.

Dr Bawumia said government was working to change the development paradigm of exclusion to inclusion of all in the country’s development process to ensure accelerated development.

He said this informed the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme since education was key to equip all with knowledge to drive development.

Dr Bawumia said government would continue to work to address the infrastructural challenges facing UDS.

Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Vice-Chancellor of UDS, complained about the acute infrastructural challenges facing the University forcing it to deny admissions to many qualified applicants.

Professor Teye said there were currently 44 uncompleted infrastructural projects at the University some of which started 14 years ago.