A sod cutting ceremony has be held for the commencement of the construction of a 70-million cedi borehole facility for the Kongo community in the Garu-Tempane district of the Upper East Region.

The gesture forms part of Kwaku Bediako, Chief Executive Officer of Chase Petroleum Company and other philanthropists’ initiative of celebrating the country’s 50th independence anniversary with deprived communities in the North.

The project, when completed in two weeks, would ensure the continuous provision of potable water for the Kongo community for decades.

It will reduce the community’s dependence on a hand-dug well that was built in 1945 and which easily gets polluted and dries up during the dry seasons.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Bediako said in celebrating the nation’s jubilee, there was the need to share with the less privileged and that the gesture was to reduce the drudgery associated with the community’s search to have access to hygienic water.

He noted that the quest for clean water and other amenities in rural communities have been elusive, making life unattractive.

He said this has resulted in the migration of the youth to the south to engage in all sorts of social vices which do not augur well for the socio-economic advancement of the country.

Mr. Bediako expressed the hope that with provision of the borehole facility and other amenities by other meaningful citizens, the youth would stay back home to make opportunities better in the community.

He disclosed that their initiative had also paid off with the construction of a 120-million cedi borehole at Gani, in the Kassena Nankana district and announced that they would continue to support deprived communities with other amenities to ensure better living conditions in the rural areas.

Emmanuel Synnet Asigri, Garu-Tempane District Chief Executive, commended the philanthropists for their initiative which had brought great relief to the people.

He said the gesture had been a timely intervention in the lives of the people to get rid of guinea worm and other water-borne diseases in the north.

He said the development of the area should not be left in the hands development partners and urged other philanthropists to emulate Mr. Bediako and friends’ example.

Mr. Asigri appealed to the people to maintain the facility in order to prolong its lifespan.

Awudu Issaka Bankparib, assembly member for the area, on behalf of the chief and the community, expressed their appreciation to Mr. Bediako and his friends for the gesture and promised that the facility would be maintained properly.

Source: GNA