Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has shared key details about the Gulf of Guinea Northern Region Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Friday, he said vulnerable Assemblies are the key focus of the project.
It is a 5-year project funded by the World Bank.
The six regions to benefit from the $150M project include Upper West (11), Savannah region (4), Northern (8), Oti (4), Upper East (15), and North East regions (6).
A total of 586 projects will be undertaken in 46 districts of the selected regions.
The main objective of the project is to speed up the local economy.
The project was first unveiled in November last year by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The project comes in three components; infrastructure development, Local economic development, and youth development.
With the infrastructure development, roads, markets, schools, health facilities, dams, among others will be built to address the basic needs of residents.
Also community members will be assisted through vocational and technical training and also learning of craft skills and capital for startup. A whopping $15M will be invested into this aspect of the project.
He noted that, SOCO is a “special purpose vehicle” government has deployed to develop deprived and vulnerable areas.
The last component will be centered on youth-engendered cohesion. Social centers, community centers, and youth centres will be made available to promote engagement, social interactions, and conversations.
The project has already created jobs for 434 community facilitators (CFs) and other specialists, who, according to Mr Aboagye, will be paid GH₵ 1,000 monthly.
According to him, these people are highly trained and are equipped with the needed resources like motorbikes, megaphones, skills, and knowledge to sensitize the locals on the dangers of insurgency, the effect on the community and lives of the people, how to identify dangerous people
The facilitators will also supervise and monitor the project at the districts.
He indicated that a National project implementation unit has been set up and solely dedicated to implementing the project.
25% of the total amount has been transferred to districts to start the implementation of 2023 projects.
Mr. Aboagye disclosed that GHc 217M has been disbursed to local assemblies to start infrastructural projects for 2023.
He added another GHc 477M will be invested in the project next year.
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