The Feed Ghana Project, recently launched by His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama in his administration’s efforts geared at increasing the country’s food production and job creation for the country’s teaming youth, has so far registered some 745 farmer-based groups scheduled to benefit from the Project in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
Kassena-Nankana West District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Stephen Aeke Akurugo, who made this known in his sessional address at the Assembly’s first ordinary meeting, held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, emphasized that only farmers who were duly registered and captured in the programme’s database will benefit from the support. He explained, “for this year, each Farmer-Based Organisation is permitted to pick the option of either livestock support or crop support and notice is given that, crop support available will provide only fertilizer assistance this year”.
“Through the Feed Ghana Project, individual farmers, schools, and churches are expected and advised to start backyard gardens. I expect that Hon. Assembly members will equally take this advantage and have their backyard gardens, as it comes with many benefits”, Hon. Akurugo added.
Meanwhile under Government’s Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative, also launched in March, 2025, targets to plant and nurse some 15,000 seedlings of various tree species in the district and the DCE entreated the Assembly Members and the general public to call on the Forestry Commission’s offices in near-by Navrongo to pick some.
Hon. Akurugo’s sessional address also disclosed that the Assembly’s Executive Committee meeting held on August 12, 2025 has made some important recommendations for the approval of the General House and appealed to the Assembly Members to do the needful so as to propel development in the area. These included approval for the construction of access road to Assembly warehouse in Paga, approval of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) by-laws and approval of the draft Spatial Development Framework as well as an approval for the formation of Community Watchdog Committees in interested electoral areas within the District.
On the financial performance of the District as of June, 2025, the District Chief Executive reported that against a target of 605,007.44 Ghana Cedis as Internally Generated Funds (IGF), some 516,729.42 Ghana Cedis was realised. This according to the DCE represents 85.41 percent of the targeted IGF at the end of June, 2025. He further revealed that, the Assembly also received Six Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand, Seventy-Three Ghana Cedis, Seven Pessewas (₵6,692,073.07) indicating 25.09 percent of the targeted amount of Twenty-Six Million, Six-Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand, Seventy Cedis, Eighty-Five Pessewas (₵26,677,070.85).
Hon. Akurugu’s address also touched on the district’s health, education, and sanitation sectors where he revealed that, an amount of 1,961,148.05 Ghana Cedis was released to the Assembly for the first quarter of 2025, this amount will be expended on desired development projects in consonance with the guidelines attached. For instance, the construction and furnishing of a CHPS Compound in Amutanga, construction of a maternity block at Mirigu and the construction cum furnishing of 1No. 3-Unit Classroom at Boania A and another at Boania B formed part of the expenditure areas for the release.
Additionally, some water facilities to be executed from the release include the drilling and solar mechanisation of 1No. borehole with Rambo 1000 water tank at the Sirigu Senior High, Paga Senior High, Chiana Senior High and the same in the Zenga community. Also, 900No. metal frame-with-dual-wooden plates dual desks for public primary schools and 40-number hexagonal tables and 240 chairs for kindergarten pupils are to be procured.
Hon. Akurugo ended his address by stating that, there will also be some spending on the construction of a 24-hour economy market in tandem with the Mahama administration’s 24-hour economy policy. Meanwhile on sanitation, there are work plans for the evacuation of refuse dumps and maintenance of final dumping site, procurement of 5-number refuse containers, regular dislodging of all institutional and public toilets as well as conduct of sensitisation and gazetting of WASH bye-laws.
Earlier in his welcome remarks to call the House to order and to start the day’s proceedings, the Assembly’s Presiding Member (PM), Hon. Roland Welagetin commended Assembly Members for their sense of purpose and love for the district’s development which culminated in the DCE’s one-touch confirmation back in April this year and his own election as PM; pledging that he will steer the affairs of the Assembly in such a way that will benefit all members.
The PM charged his colleagues to be decorous and maintain high level of respect for their colleagues during deliberations on the floor.
REPORT BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
DISTRICT INFORMATION OFFICER