Northern Ghana Aid (NOGAID), an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), has within the past eight years committed five billion cedis to boost the socio-economic development of communities in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. Mr Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of the organisation, who made this known in Tamale, said the development package was made possible through funds mobilised locally and also in collaboration with Muslims Aid and Doctors Worldwide, two British NGO's. Speaking at an annual reception for local development agencies, NGO's and journalists at the weekend, Mr Sanah promised that: " NOGAID would deliver more exciting development package for the three regions in 2008." The reception was part of the Eid- il-Adha (Muslim festival of sacrifice) during which NOGAID in collaboration with Doctors Worldwide donated large quantities of meat to about 6,000 deprived people in 20 communities in the Northern Region. Tamale Children's Home and Shekinah Clinic that operates free medical services to the destitute also benefited from the package. Mr Sanah said Doctors Worldwide, Muslim Aid and a Turkish NGO- Deniz Feneri, provided food aid, medicine, clothing and other relief items valued at 750 million cedis, this year, to people who were affected by the devastating floods that claimed lives and property in the North. Mr Abdallah Kassim, Executive Member of Northern Ghana Network for NGO's lauded NOGAID for being proactive in facilitating the development of the North. He said the immense contribution of NGO's towards the development of the area had kept poverty at bay. Mr Awudu Abdul-Rauf, Chairman for the occasion advised Muslims youth to embrace secular education as the surest means of overcoming poverty.Source: GNA