Presidential spokesperson Mahama Ayariga says region-specific development programmes announced by the president must be perceived as part of a national development agenda by the current administration. Government announced its intention to start what it calls the Western Corridor Development Fund which is expected to finance economic and social infrastructure in the Western and Central Regions. President John Evans Atta Mills announced the fund at Sekondi on Tuesday when he made a stop there as part of his tour of the two regions. This programme follows an earlier one – the Savanna Accelerated Development Programme – which will address development challenges in the three northern regions and northern Brong Ahafo Region. Speaking to Joy News on Wednesday, Mr Ayariga said the two programmes fed into a national development programme which should spur growth and improve the livelihoods of the citizenry. He hinted that the Western Fund was strategically launched to tap into the tourism potentials of the Central Region as well as the country’s nascent oil industry. Ghana’s donor partners have pledged support for such programmes, Mr Ayariga noted. Asked about the likelihood of other regions pushing for their own brand of development programme, Mr Ayariga said government was ready to support local initiatives and would encourage the regions to fashion schemes that would address their own problems. “We are encouraging the regions to come together, take ownership of the development of their regions and government will give them its full backing,” he told Joy News Editor Matilda Asante Asiedu. He noted development efforts worked better if they emerged from “the people themselves.” “We will definitely applaud efforts by the people themselves to provide the leadership and own the process and then mobilise the necessary pressure to get the thing done,” he stressed. Meanwhile the president is due to complete his tour of Western Region today July 29 in Sehwi Wiaoso where he is expected to address a durbar of chiefs and people in that area. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana