Communities undertaking SHEP to receive funding

The President made this known when he addressed a durbar to mark the Yam Festival of the Asogli State and 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, in Ho on Saturday.

The event, celebrated on the theme: 'Traditional Leadership and Development Redefine', attracted people from Togo and Benin as well.

 
Yam Festival
The Yam Festival is celebrated to give thanks to God and the ancestors for a bumper harvest and to foster unity through forgiveness and reconciliation.

The event is also used to offer prayers for good health and to mobilise both human and material resources in the Asogli State for job creation.

 
SHEP
The SHEP is a complementary electrification programme instituted by the government in1989 to support the main national electricity schemes.

The rationale is to encourage communities to embrace and support the government's efforts at extending electricity to all.

The counterpart funding to be paid by the Ministry of Finance is intended to support communities undertaking the programme to complete their projects.

President Mahama said his administration would take development to every part of the country.

On development projects in the Volta Region, he said landing sites would be constructed in selected communities along the Volta Lake.

He said the government had released funding for the upgrading of roads in Ho.

President Mahama said major works to replace the suspension bridge on the Volta River at Atimpoku with a modern one would soon begin to make for the easy movement of people and goods.

He said the Sogakope water project under which Ghana would supply its immediate eastern neighbour, Togo, with potable water was on course.

'We believe this will bring us closer to Togo,' he added.

President Mahama thanked the people of the region for their show of support and solidarity during the eight months that the Supreme Court heard the 2012 presidential election petition.

He also lauded the Judiciary, the National  Peace Council, traditional leaders, religious bodies and all Ghanaians for keeping the peace.

 
Chieftaincy disputes
President  Mahama bemoaned the numerous chieftaincy and land disputes in the country, particularly the Alavanyo and Nkonya conflict, and expressed the conviction that the peace accord signed by the two neighbouring communities would last forever to pave way for development.

Togbe Afede, for his part, said 'consistent with the contemporary needs of my people, my primary concern as their leader will be the developmental needs of Asogli'.

More energy
He said the Shenzhen Energy Group had plans to add 360 megawatts to the Sunon Asogli Power Plant before the end of next year, while pursuing plans for a 600-700-megawatt, coal-fired power plant at a total investment of $1 billion.

On agriculture, he said the Asogli State was in the second year of efforts at establishing an integrated livestock and crops development project on more than 30,000 hectares of land.

The Volta Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, commended the Asogli State for initiating many development programmes to support the public.

There were solidarity messages from the Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe; the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the King of Notsie, Togbi Agorkorli IV.

By Timothy Gobah/Daily Graphic/Ghana