The lack of capacity of contractors in the Upper West Region resulted in the return of 28 billion out of 50 billion cedis meant for highway projects in the Region to the national treasury last year. However, 74 billion cedis allocated for the feeder road sector in the Region last year was fully utilized for improvement of feeder roads. This was made known by Ambrose Patrick Dery, Regional Minister, at this year's People's Assembly at Daffiama in the Nadowli District and Jirapa in the Jirapa/ Lambussie District. He said as a result of poor work by some of the contractors, some of the contracts already awarded had to be terminated to be re-awarded. The Regional Minister announced that the government had awarded contracts totalling 33 billion cedis for the construction of three hostels and two lecture blocks for the Wa campus of the University of Development Studies (UDS). Mr Dery added that the government was also constructing eleven bungalows for the Wa polytechnic. At Daffiama, the Minister announced approval for the construction of a two-story hostel for the Daffiama Senior Secondary School at a cost of 3.5 billion cedis. Clement Elledi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture announced that his ministry was promoting cashew and livestock project in the Nadowli District and urged interested farmers to contact their District Directors of Agriculture on how to get assistance to participate in the project. At Jirapa, the Jirapa/ Lambussie District Chief Executive, Justin Dakurah assured persons whose land had been acquired by the Assembly for its projects that they would be adequately compensated for the land acquired from them. Source: GNA