The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has a “solid foundation for the total transformation” of inner cities and Zongo in the country, the minister-designate for Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Boniface Abubakar Siddique has said.
“First of all, I need to embark on a serious conscientization,” he remarked on Wednesday before the Appointments Committee of Parliament.
He added: “The mindset of the people, mindset of the government and its state agencies and departments must change. Mindset of the NGOs and other non-governmental institutions, and mindset of the whole people of Ghana; so everybody will be involved in helping to change the Zongos.”
The governing NPP during the electioneering last year pledged to develop the Zongos and inner cities, prompting President Akufo-Addo to create the portfolio.
Answering a question on the budgeting mechanism for the Inner cities and Zongo portfolio, the former Works and Housing Minister, under the erstwhile Kufuour Administration said “There will be a budget for inner cities but we may get a composite budget for my ministry next year.”
“I can assure you that my Ministry will not rush in getting things done. As I sit here, I know the processes that one has to take to have a fund established. We need to bring a bill through the President to Parliament for consideration before the bill is passed as an Act before it can be accessed,” he added.
In a related development, the Member of Parliament for Madina revealed a plan aimed at motivating tutors in schools in the Zongos, stating that he “intends to liaise with the Education Ministry to offer incentives to teachers in the area”.
