UNHCR hands over its facilities to govt

As part of its commitments towards burden sharing, the United Nations High Commission for refugees, Tuesday handed over its infrastructural facilities in the Gomoa District to government institutions.

The facilities include three 12-classroom block schools, a 21-bed health centre with an in-patient department, a maternity and labour ward, laboratory facilities, clinic as well as a Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre for Buduburam and its environs. A Toyota Hilux Pickup vehicle was also donated to the Ghana police service to assist them in the camp.

These facilities are worth seven hundred thousand US dollars ($700,000). These buildings have been built over the years for the refugees at Buduburam and would continue to benefit of UNHCR assistance until they are fully incorporated into national entities and begin to enjoy full government assistance.

As part of the ceremony, a sod cutting was done for commencement of the construction of police and fire service stations and a DOVSU office. In addition to this, they have plans to build quarters that will accommodate the Ghana Education, Police, Fire, and Health Services staff on transfer or secondment to those institutions, costing $900,000.

Speaking at the ceremony at Gomoa Buduburam, the UNHCR representative in Ghana, Ms. Aida Haile Mariam said, these initiatives will help improve the safety and security concerns in the area as well as the health and education needs of not only the refugees but also their host community, Gomoa district.

She indicated that, violent against women and children is an important issue to them, and it is in view of this, that they are planning to build the DOVSU office to help eliminate violence against women and children in Ghana.

She expressed gratitude to the Gomoa district and the government for providing the land for these projects and noted that, these are not only for the refugees to enjoy but for the Gomoa district as well.

The acting IGP, Mrs. Elizabeth Robert Mills who cut the sod for the police station and received the vehicle on behalf the Ghana police service, commended UNHCR for this gesture, noting that, this will at least reduce some of the burden on the police service and pledged that the vehicle will put into effective use.

Unveiling the plague for the 12-classroom block, the deputy minister for interior, Dr. Kwesi Appiah-Kubi advice the refugees at the camp to be of a good behaviour  themselves and obey the laws governing this land, and the government will at all times provide them with the necessary protection that they need.