Present Zongo Development Fund Bill To Parliament Under Certificate Of Urgency - CenProG To Government

The Center for Progressive Governance (CenProG) has noted with shock the lackadaisical approach government has adopted in the handling of the Zongo Development Fund Bill and we express our unequivocal dissatisfaction with government's approach to this very important policy initiative.

CenProG takes serious exception to government's seeming lack of urgency in the handling of a bill that has dire economic repercussions for the zongo communities. A critical section of the country's population which signed a social contract with this current government and held their end of the bargain by voting massively for the NPP.

The NPP recorded its highest votes in the zongo communities during the 2016 elections largely due to the promise of establishing a Zongo Development Fund. The government is yet to fulfill its end of the bargain after announcing a seed money for the fund during the Annual budget reading.

The Government has since withdrawn the Bill from Parliament twice and this gives credence to the claims that the government might not be interested in the bill and is only using the serial withdrawals to divert public attention and interest in the Bill.

CenProG will like to place on record that we will not sit aloof for this bill to end up like the Right to Information Bill which has been laid and re-laid but never passed. We therefore entreat Government to lay the Bill under a certificate of urgency to show that government is indeed committed to ensuring its passage.

CenProG will also like to serve notice to the Government and Minister in Charge of the Inner Cities and Zongo Development that if rumours of government wanting to cut down on expenditure are true then government should look elsewhere but not the Zongo Development Fund.

God Bless our homeland Ghana and make it GREAT and STRONG.

Signed
Sawadogo Mahmoud
Executive Secretary, CenProG
0504607005/0244997751
Mallam Yahya Mohammed
Executive Director, CenProG
0243728659
Cc:
The Office of the President
Parliament of Ghana
Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development