Zongo Fund Assures 3000 Zongos

The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF), Arafat Suleimana Abdulai has assured residents of the 3000 Zongos strewn across the country.

He was speaking to a cross section of media representatives, Thursday, in Accra.

He said the fund was working hard to deliver on its mandate towards which end they would leave no stone unturned.

Monies spent so far, he assured “have been applied strictly in accordance with the vision of the President as encapsulated in the manifesto of the NPP, 2016.”

In responding to what he said were questions in the media about the basis of some projects undertaken by the fund, he said “projects executed under the fund are being done in strict accordance with the provisions of the NPP manifesto and the President's Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Policies, 2017-2024.”

ZoDF, he said received written requests for projects from political leaders, chiefs, Imams, youth, women and opinion leaders, some of them he said, sent directly to the minister who passes them on to the fund.

These he said were reviewed followed by the movement of a project team to the areas for a needed assessment otherwise known as validation. The validation team, he went on, held a stakeholder meeting with the political leaders, chiefs, imams and other leaders towards reaching an agreement. This way he added the request was either stuck to or varied based on the prevailing needs on the ground.

A recommendation, he added, was made to the governing board which subsequently reviewed the recommendations and gave approval for the execution of the projects.

A question was posed regarding projects which were within the remit of district assemblies to which he said theirs sought to cover grounds not covered by the appropriate bodies.

A journalist suggested that presenting Zongo persons, who had reached the top of their professions, to school children in the catchment areas of the fund, would be a way of encouraging these kids to concentrate on their studies.

Outside the meeting with the media there are suggestions that the ZoDF should be innovative to bring the necessary transformation envisaged by President Akufo-Addo when he decided on the concept of a development fund for the enhancement of the Zongos.

In presenting areas tackled so far by the fund the acting CEO said “the ZoDF in collaboration with the Ministry of Inner City Development and Zongo Affairs and in partnership with Iran Clinic has engaged in public health screening and treatment in Zongo communities in some parts of the country including Tuba, Madina and Fadama—all in Accra.”

Plans were underway to replicate same in the Central Region's Zongos such as Winneba and Mankesim, he said.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programmes, he went on, had been rolled out for Zongo communities in some parts of the country.

A financial support programme for brilliant but needy Zongo students was being planned from basic to the tertiary levels, he announced.

Present during the programme were the two deputy CEOs, Aisha Salifu in charge of Finance and Administration and Baba Sadik, Operations and other supporting staff.

---Daily Guide