President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that government will provide 3,000 street lights in the Upper West to be placed at vantage points to curb insecurity in the region.
He said the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council had sought for approval for the sourcing of the streetlights from the Public Procurement Authority and said the facilities would soon be brought to the region for fixing.
He indicated that the move would help improve upon the security of the area and said there was the need for the safety of the populace in order to enhance their contribution towards national development as well as attract the needed investment to the area.
The President announced this when he paid a courtesy call on the overlord of the Waala Traditional Council, NaaFuseiniSeiduPelpuo IV, at his palace at Wa as part of a three-day working visit to the region.
The President who was reacting to concerns about recent spate of insecurity in the municipality said his government would make the necessary investment that would support the security services to effectively discharge their duty of protecting residents.
“Government would work hand in hand with security services to maintain the peace and security the people were enjoying because there was the need to maintain a serene atmosphere among the people to help promote development in the region,” he said.
He used the opportunity to renew his pledge to help build more educational facilities for the region as well as work to reduce the prices of fertilisers for farmers.
The overlord, NaaPelpuo IV asked the President to expedite action on the provision of the street lights to ensure that security was maintained in the region.
“Our police men and women are faced with the Herculean task of maintaining security at night because most of the street lights are not functional, leading to total darkness which gives cover to activities of criminals who commit all sort of atrocities: the recent murder cases are examples,” he said.
He reiterated his appeal for the dualisation of roads in the Wa town as well as the provision of basic logistics such as school buses to some senior high schools in the region.
“The Wa Senior High School is in dire need of a multipurpose assembly hall where students can gather for events because the old block was originally built to accommodate 200 students but now the student population has increased to over 2,000,” he said.
The President who was accompanied by sector ministers such as the Minister of Information, MrKojoOppong Nkrumah, Minister of DefenceMr Dominic Nitiwil, Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of Roads and Highway, MrKwasiAmoako-Attah and others toured the B.K. AdamaYouth Resource Centre to inspect ongoing work at the site.
According to the contractor in charge of the Project, MrHadiBinSalih, the first phase of the project which was started in 2018 was 98 percent complete whereas the second phase which started this year was 30 per cent complete.
He however pledged to deliver the project for inauguration at the end of the year and said efforts were being doubled up in order to achieve the target.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
