NAWDOLI DCE GRATEFUL TO PRESIDENT (PAGE 15)

THE Nadowli District Chief Executive (DCE) in the Upper West Region, Mr Abu Kansangbata, has expressed gratitude to President Mills and the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region for nominating him to the high office.
He also thanked the traditional leaders and assembly members in the district for affirming their support during his confirmation, and promised to work diligently to accelerate the development of the district.
Mr Kansangbata, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic at Wa, called for mutual cooperation from all stakeholders in his efforts to bring development to the district, adding, “We have to see ourselves as development partners”.
That, he said, was the only means through which they could work together.
“The cardinal principle of politics is to improve the standard of living of people.
Therefore, it is time to do away with partisan politics and work together as a unified force,” he stated.
Mr Kansangbata mentioned security, health, agriculture and education as his priority areas.
The 29-year-old DCE, who is the youngest of the chief executives in the region, further acknowledged that although the task ahead was a daunting one, he was prepared to seek counsel from the elderly and all those who had the development of the district at heart.
He lauded the role of the media in the region and said, “Without the media, we would not have reached where we are today”,
According to Mr Kansangbata, through various educative programmes on radio, a lot of people in the region had come to appreciate democracy and the decentralisation process, and were playing leading roles in that regard to strengthen the structures of democracy.

LIONS BEAT ALL STARS AT HOME (BACK PAGE)

Kpando Heart of Lions managed to break the home invincibility of Wa All Stars when they beat them 2-1 in the Premier League match played at the Wa Stadium yesterday.
Two great goals from Mohammed Tanko and enterprising Gladson Awako on the 19th and 41st minutes respectively put Lions comfortably ahead in the first half.
After recess, All Stars beefed up their attack with some fresh limbs, but their attackers kept fumbling in front of goal for a greater part of the second half until Isaac Owusu popped up from defence on the stroke of full time to connect a corner kick to reduce the deficit for the homesters.

8 CHIEF EXECUTIVES TAKE OFFICE IN UW PAGE 17)

EIGHT out of the nine newly confirmed Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the Upper West Region have been sworn in at a short ceremony held at the forecourt of the Regional Coordinating Council.
They are, Mr Robert Wavei, DCE for Sissala West; Mr Abu Kasangbata, Nadowli; Mr Bernard Puozuing, Jirapa; Mr Seidu Tingbani, Wa West; Mr Ameen Salifu, Wa East; Mr Samson Abu, Lawra; Mr Clement Benin, Lambussie-Karni, and the only female DCE, Miss Alijata Sulemana, Sissala East.
The Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Yakubu Duogo, could not take part in the ceremony as he was said to be in Accra on official duty. He will, therefore, be sworn in at a later date.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mohammed Khalid, who administered the oath of secrecy and allegiance, advised the new M/DCEs to exhibit a high sense of integrity, remain selfless and sacrifice for the good of the people they would serve.
He said they must constantly bear in mind the state of the region as the youngest with a very high poverty level and urged them to work closely with their technocrats and other agencies to be able to build an effective team to propel the development of the district.
In this regard, the regional minister advised the M/DCEs against meddling in land and chieftaincy disputes, saying, "Be very alert and proactive in order to avert any forms of conflicts in your areas, since conflicts retard progress".
For his part, a Member of the Council of State for the Upper West Region, Naa Seidu Braimah, also urged the chief executives to show much maturity in their deliberations, adding that the position was a very difficult one.
He charged them to mobilise all material and human resources in their areas of jurisdiction and work together to propel the development of the districts and the region.
Naa Braimah further urged the M/DCEs to do away with their political colours and serve the interest of the people.
The Sissala West DCE, Mr Robert Wavei, on behalf of his counterparts expressed appreciation to President J.E.A. Mills for the opportunity and pledged to work diligently for the good of the region and the nation as a whole.

EPA WONT SHIRK ITS RESPONSIBILITY — NKEGBE (PAGE 40)

THE acting Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr Asher Nkegbe, has assured the people of the region that the agency would not shirk its responsibility in checking telecommunications companies to avoid indiscriminate erection of masts in the region.
“We will make sure that the right thing is done as no rules will be bent to suit any particular company,” he added.
Mr Nkegbe was reacting to a series of concerns expressed by the people of the region over erection of telecommunication masts in some residential areas of the region.
He said before any mast would be erected, due process would be followed and proper assessment done to ensure that the health of the people was not compromised.
Mr Nkegbe also advised people who had any resentment against the erection of any masts in their communities to inform the EPA for the appropriate action to be taken.
“Never hesitate to report your concerns to us, since our offices are spread all over the region,” Mr Nkegbe advised.
He called on building inspectors of the municipal and district assemblies in the region not to approve of sites for mast erection without informing the EPA.

WA REGIONAL HOSPITAL SEES IMPROVEMENT (PAGE 40)

THE Wa Regional Hospital, the only referral hospital in the Upper West Region, is now having a facelift.
A number of philanthropic individuals, institutions, organisations have supplemented the efforts of the hospital’s administration to achieve its objective of giving the hospital some facelift
The hospital was fast deteriorating as far as infrastructure, human resource, among other things, were concerned but now it has been given some hope through the support of some benevolent individuals, and non governmental organisations (NGOs) in addition to funds raised internally by the hospital administration.
Presently, the roads to the hospital which had been neglected over the years have been tarred.
A Wa-based private road construction company, P.W. Ghanem, has responded to the numerous appeals by the hospital administrators by tarring the deplorable roads as part of its social responsibility to the people of the region.
The drains are also being constructed while the children’s ward is being renovated.
The ward is being rewired and the entire building is being re-roofed, while the cemented floor is being replaced with ceramic tiles. The whole block is also being receiled.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic about the state of the hospital in the run up to the construction of the proposed regional hospital, the Medical Director in charge of the hospital, Dr K. Abebrese, said it had not been easy for the hospital .
He stated that proceeds from the National AIDS Control Programme and the drug fund of the hospital, and some amount of funding from the National Tuberculosis Programme were being used to finance the projects being undertaken.
“Through these interventions, we have been able to put up a new hall which is being used as a waiting hall for people living with HIV/AIDS and for training programmes. We also have a new community psychiatry centre with support from Basic Needs, an NGO”, Dr Abebrese stated.
He added that the hospital laboratory had also undergone some refurbishment with support from funds from the National TB Programme.
Dr Abebrese said after completing those projects, the hospital administration would see to the improvement of the accommodation and bed situations at the hospital, adding, “Nobody would be admitted to sleep on the floor again”.
Throwing more light on the current state of the eye clinic at the hospital, the medical director was happy about the collaboration between the Swiss Red Cross and the Ghana Red Cross and for their foresight, saying “it was through their initiative that we were able to renovate the eye centre”.
“The pharmacy and the dispensary blocks have all undergone some renovation, courtesy our IGF”, Dr Abebrese added.
He gave a hint about efforts to expand the casualty ward and also demarcate a VIP section which would have an air-conditioned facility for very important personalities admitted to the hospital.
Dr Abebrese explained that in the past, both male and female patients were admitted to the same casualty ward but the situation would change with the completion of the expansion project.
Responding to a question on the present state of the human resource situation at the hospital, Dr Abebrese said it was a major challenge for the hospital.
He said the hospital had only four Ghanaian doctors and six Cubans, stressing that the human resource situation in all the other departments of the hospital was very discouraging.
“From midwives, through to laboratory technicians and nurses, the staff are either aging or we do not have them”, he complained, saying “it is a very serious problem”.
Dr Abebrese, however, stressed the need for individuals, particularly doctors who were natives of the region, corporate organisations and all those who would be touched by the conditions at the Wa hospital, to assist the hospital in their small way.

'VANISHING' MAN NABBED FOR SMOKING 'WEE' (MIRROR, PAGE 35)

From George Folley Quaye, Biintenge

The Wa East District Health Director, Mr Thompson Dumba, has stressed the need for parents and child care givers to be educated on the use of child health records to ensure a healthy growth and development of children.
Launching this year’s child health promotion week at Biitenge in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region, Mr Dumba noted that though the growth and well-being of children was the responsibility of all, it behoved parents to show more interest in the development of their children.
The celebration was on the theme: "Follow your child's growth- Use your child health records”.
Mr Dumba explained that “knowledge about the child health records would give parents and caretakers the opportunity to take the necessary actions to ensure the steady growth and development of their children.”
He appealed to health workers to “Use child health records more effectively to ensure the delivery of quality services to children”.
Mr Dumba described as unacceptable the high rate of under-five mortality of 120 deaths per 1000 live births in the Upper West Region and called for efforts to reduce it.
The Upper West Deputy Regional Health Director in charge of administration, Mr Edward Kaba, bemoaned the high maternal mortality rate of 213 per 100,000 live births in the region and attributed the situation to some negative cultural practices.
He pointed out that in some cultural settings, women were not allowed to deliver at health facilities leading to complications and death, adding that such pregnancy-related deaths could have been avoided if such complications were reported early to the health facilities.
Mr Kaba appealed to members of the Biitenge community to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHS), since it was an effective tool in poverty reduction.

INTERGRATE TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES INTO DISTRIC SYSTEM (PAGE 20)

THE Executive Director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD), Mr Bernard Guri, has called for proper integration of traditional authorities into the district assembly system to make it function effectively.
He stated that traditional authorities were effective development partners who could not be relegated to the background with respect to development, and therefore, called on the government to do more to move the institution forward.
Mr Guri expressed the concern at a two-day workshop for chiefs and traditional women leaders in Wa in the Upper West Region.
The workshop, sponsored by the Konrad Adenaur Foundation (KAF), which was under the theme: "Perspective on strengthening the institution of female leaders", was attended by chiefs and women representatives from all the paramountcies in the region.
Mr Guri noted with concern situations where investors came to the communities and consulted only officials of district assemblies and started work on projects without the knowledge and consent of the traditional authorities who were the custodians of the land.
He described the practice as very unhealthy and called for a review of the system in the interest of the people and the development of the communities.
The Senior Programmes Manager of the KAF, Mr Isaac Owusu-Mensah, said it was important for the three northern regions to have women leaders who could properly represent the interest of women and children from their respective communities.
He called on the people, particularly the chiefs to endeavour to come out clear on who should be appointed women leaders to enhance the process.
Mr Owusu-Mensah further advised the traditional rulers to take up the issue of the queens for the northern part of the country very seriously, as it would come with positive interventions, which would in the long run, help solve the poverty problem in the area.
For his part, the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, Naa S. D. Gore, who chaired the function, stated that the times when women were left behind, was past and gone, adding that it was time women were brought to the fore to fully partake in decision making.
"If we continue to neglect the role of women, then we will keep on depriving them of some of their developmental needs", he stressed.

HIGH RENTS IN WA AFFECT WORKERS, STUDENTS (PAGE 20)

GONE are the days when rooms and bungalows in the Wa municipality were left at the mercy of the weather without being rehabilitated or unoccupied.
That was the period when the region was regarded by many, especially people from the southern part of the country as “a no-go area”, and workers refused transfers to the region.
As a result, many of the bungalows constructed by successive governments, especially during the regime of the late General I.K. Acheampong were not occupied because the population of workers, particular those in the formal sector at the time, was nothing to write home about.
It is worth mentioning that the situation has now changed as far as accommodation in Wa is concerned. This development has resulted in the exorbitant and unrealistic rents charged by some unsympathetic landlords and landladies.
This does not mean that all the landlords and landladies are unreasonable and following the footsteps of their compatriots who want to become rich overnight. Some of them feel for others and for that matter, charge very reasonable rents depending on the nature of their rooms.
Some landlords who own compound houses charge as much as GH¢300 per student of the University for Development Studies (UDS) for one single room, which is rented out to four people. For students who prefer some comfort and luxury, they have to be prepared to dish out between GH¢600 and GH¢800 before they get decent accommodation.
Such is the situation in the Wa municipality presently. Unfortunately, indigenous contractors who in one way or the other want to reverse the trend by putting up low-cost buildings have not done so.
However, thanks to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), hostel facilities have been constructed for the two main tertiary educational institutions in the municipality, the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) and Wa Polytechnic. Unfortunately, work on some of the hostels is progressing at a snail’s pace, which sometimes forces students and workers to rub compete for private accommodation in town.
It is sad to note that although the Wa municipality was included in the government’s affordable housing programme to ease the burden of workers, the site for the project, which is on the Wa-Dorimon road, is still lying untouched, long after Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, the then Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, had cut the sod for the project in 2007.
Interestingly, barely a year after the sod-cutting ceremony, his successor, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique also visited Wa and gave the assurance that the project would begin in June, 2008 but this did not happen.
Meanwhile, investigations by the Daily Graphic has revealed that the land meant for the project and that of the permanent campuses of the Wa campus of the UDS, is yet to be properly documented and this has led to agitation by the landlords.
To avoid some of the mistakes in other parts of the country, especially Accra, the nation’s capital, there is the need for all interested parties to go to the negotiation table to thrash out any bottlenecks before it is too late.
It is also the prayer of all residents and visitors to Wa and the Upper West Region in general, that private investors would focus their attention on the region and invest in the provision of accommodation since Wa has developed dramatically.
It is also the wish of all and sundry that some of the indigenous people who are engaged in the construction business and those who have not thought of venturing into that area, would be encouraged to give it a second thought in order to ease the accommodation problems in the region.
This has become imperative as an increase in comfortable accommodation will encourage many people including workers and students to move to the Wa municipality in particular and the region in general.

NADOWLI DISTRICT CONFIRMS DCE (PAGE 15)

THE District Chief Executive (DCE)for Nadowli in the Upper West Region, Mr Abu Kansangbata, has promised to work diligently to accelerate the pace of development in the district.
Expressing appreciation to President Mills and the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region for nominating him as the DCE, he also thanked traditional leaders and assembly members of the district for affirming their support for him during his confirmation.
Mr Kansangbata, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic called for cooperation among all stakeholders in the development process of the district, saying, “We have to see ourselves as development partners”.
That, he said, was the only means through which they could work together.
“The cardinal principle of politics is to improve the living standard of the people, therefore it is time to do away with politics and work together as a unified force,” he pointed out.
Mr Kansangbata also mentioned security, health, agriculture and education as his priority areas.
The 29-year-old DCE, who is the youngest of all the chief executives in the region, further acknowledged that though the task ahead was a daunting one, he was prepared to seek counsel from the elderly and all who had the development of the district on their shoulders to push the Nadowli District to a higher pedestal.
He lauded the role of the media in the region and said “Without the media we would not have gotten where we are today” explaining that through various educational programmes on radio for instance, now a lot of people in the region had come to appreciate democracy and the decentralisation process, and were playing leading roles in this regard to strengthen the structures.

WA EAST DCE CALLS FOR UNITY (PAGE 15)

The newly confirmed Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Ameen Salifu, has called on the chiefs and people of the district to come on board to vigorously start work to transform the district.
He said being one of the newly created districts, Wa East continued to lag behind in terms of infrastructure, among other development interventions.
“This district has a track record of infighting, divisiveness and negative attitudes towards development-oriented issues but this time round we have to move away from that and look ahead,” he stated.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Wa, Mr Salifu said it was about time people from the district shied away from such behavioural tendencies and channelled their energies towards the rapid development of the area.
He said it was his priority to mend fences and bring everyone on board for the socio-economic development of the area.
“As we speak now, I’m talking to the director of power, stakeholders in the telecommunications system.”
He said he was very focused and, therefore, would push very hard to transform the district during his tenure, adding, “We shall be doing great disservice to our people when we allow personal, ethnic and party affiliations to divide our ranks; let us bury all these else posterity would judge us as failing our people.”
On the acrimony which usually characterises the confirmation of the DCEs in the district, the new DCE advised the people of the area to resolve to vote for assembly members who had the development of the district at heart but not for people who continuously agitated over issues which tended to retard development in the district.
Mr Ameen expressed appreciation to all who made it possible for his confirmation to take place, and urged them to continue to rally behind him.

NIGERIANS ASKED TO BE LAW-ABIDING (PAGE 36)

THE Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has advised Nigerian residents in the country to be law-abiding and live in peace and harmony with Ghanaians.
He said although there were similarities between Ghanaians and Nigerians, it was important to acknowledge that there were also differences in the perception and ways of life of the two peoples.
“Ghana and Nigeria have a lot in common but we must realise that our way of thinking is different from that of our Ghanaian brothers and sisters. The way we see things, therefore, is also different from the way the Ghanaian see things,” Senator Obanikoro said.
Senator Obanikoro, who gave the advice when he interacted with the Nigerians community in Wa in the Upper West Region, said the only way they could live in peace and harmony with Ghanaians was for them to shed their egoistic tendencies and respect the laws of the land.
The high commissioners’ visit was part of a working tour of the northern part of the country to interact with Nigerians community.
Senator Obanikoro also appealed to them to co-operate with each other and help weed out the bad lots amongst them to protect the image of Nigeria.
Responding to questions, Senator Obanikoro hinted that a new national identity card would soon be produced for them and gave the assurance that he would work to ensure that one of the Nigerian banks opened a branch in Wa to enhance the financial transactions between them and their families back in Nigeria.
Earlier, the high commissioner paid courtesy calls on the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid and his deputy, Mr Kale Cezar, at Wa.
During his interactions, he expressed his joy about the positive reports he received about Nigerians in all the regions he visited.
“Nigerians are not criminals, we are very hard-working, peace-loving and God-fearing people, we are not rogues; it is only a few of us who are bent on making money at all costs and therefore will do anything to get it and this is not limited to Nigerians alone,” he lamented.
Senator Obanikoro further challenged Nigerians to rise up and fight to redeem their sinking image, saying, “It is believed that perception is the reality and so do not allow the miscreants among us to define who we are”.
For his part, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, traced the relations between the two countries and said it was sad that a few bad lots were dragging the name of Nigeria in the mud.
Mr Khalid said the two countries, as Africans, must begin to tell the world their own story to set the records straight because perception, when harboured by people, could be misleading.
He thanked the high commissioner for his visit and stressed the need for Ghanaians and Nigerians to be at peace with each other saying, “We have just found oil and hopefully there is a lot we will have to learn from Nigeria”.

CHARIA CHIEFS, PEOPLE COMMEND PRESIDENT (PAGE 13)

The Chiefs and people of Charia in the Wa municipality of the Upper West Region have expressed appreciation to President Mills, a member of the Council of State, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, for their roles in the appointment of Mr Duogo Yakubu for the position of the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE)
This, they said, attested to the belief that President Mills had the development of the Wa municipality and the entire Upper West Region at heart.
In a statement signed by the secretary of the Charia Youth and Development Association, Mr Mike T. Naguma, and made available to the Daily Graphic in Wa, the people of Charia prayed for God’s guidance for Mr Yakubu to be able to offer the kind of leadership which would unite the people and enhance the development of the municipality.
It said he must also work to reduce the poverty level in his area of jurisdiction.
The statement commended members of the Wa Municipal Assembly for endorsing Mr Yakubu. “This positive attitude, as members of the Wa municipal assembly, was an expression of maturity, unity and the team spirit you exhibit in your approach to issues. It also displayed your preparedness to work towards realising the development needs of your people,” the statement noted.
It further added that members of the assembly should keep to such virtues as the days passed by in order to bring development to the people.
The statement also urged Mr Yakubu not to fail his people but to justify the confidence reposed in him by President Mills and execute his job efficiently.

MP FOR LAWRA OPENS OFFICE (PAGE 15)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra-Nandom Constituency in the Upper West Region, Mr Ambrose Dery, has established an office at Lawra, the district capital, to bridge the communication gap between himself and the constituents.
Known as the “Office of the Member of Parliament”, the well-furnished, airconditioned office which is the first of its kind in the region has a computer, television set, fridge and telephone.
It is manned by a retired Warrant Officer, WO1 Adams Ankyere, and is opened from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the office at Lawra, Mr Dery said the development of the constituency was his major priority and appealed to the people not to politicise the office but to see it as their own office.
“This office is meant to create an enabling platform for the constituents to be able to reach me with their concerns and other suggestions as far as the development of the constituency is concerned” he explained.
Mr Dery also urged his constituents to regularly visit the office and offer suggestions as he was ever ready to work in consonance with them.
 “As the member of parliament, there is the need to know the views of the people so that I can advocate for them”, he said and mentioned the needs of women’s groups and children as very dear to his heart.
Highlighting some of his priority areas, Mr Dery, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, explained that he would use part of his share of the Common Fund to support needy, brilliant students from the constituency.
He further indicated his preparedness to institute measures which would encourage parents to send their children, especially the females to school, adding “I will also work to sensitise people to negative cultural practices such as widowhood rites and female genital mutilation.”
On the reduction of under-five mortality, which is high in the region, Mr Dery hinted that he would encourage the construction of more Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds in various communities to make health facilities easily accessible to the people.
 “I will also liaise with NGOs to organise women into income generating ventures as well as help improve the water supply situation in the constituency with the construction of more boreholes”, he said.
On roads, Mr Dery called on the government to expedite work on the Nadowli-Hamile road to facilitate the movement of foodstuffs from the area.
Commenting on how he could achieve this vision, the deputy minority leader, pledged his support for the newly confirmed Lawra District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samson Abu, as long as he worked to bring development to the area and to the people.

THEFT OF ELECTRICITY CABLES IN UWR WORRYING — BAENA (PAGE 30)

THE Wa Area Manager of the Northern Electricity Department (NED) and the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Nathaniel Baena, has expressed concern about the rampant stealing of electricity cables in the Upper West Region.
Such acts, he said, drew the work of the NED, VRA and the country backwards in its quest to extend electricity to all corners of the country.
Describing the act as a social problem, Mr Baena said those people who bought the cables were not ready to disclose the identities of the culprits who sold the items to them.
This came to light when the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, paid a working visit to the Wa offices of the NED/VRA to acquaint himself with their operations.
Mr Baena charged the communities to be vigilant and protect those cables, stressing “In the end, it is you the people in the communities who will need them”.
He said apart from 87 communities which were connected to the national grid last year, work was progressing steadily for the extension of power to 96 more communities under the ongoing Self Help Electrification Project (SHEP) in the region.
Mr Baena stated that the NED/VRA was in the process of putting up more paying points to enhance the payment of revenue to the organisations.
He said that would also minimise the long queues which usually occurred at the present points for payments.
Mr Mahmud Khalid complained about the intermittent power outages in the region and urged the NED/VRA to live up to expectation.

COMMUNITY PSYCHIARY UNIT FOR WA REGIONAL HOSPITAL (PAGE 30)

THE role of the public and communities are very crucial in the rehabilitation of mentally ill patients, the National Co-ordinator for Community Psychiatry, Madam Amina Bukari, has stated.
She said rehabilitation of mentally ill patients was the responsibility of all but the manner in which those patients were handled determined whether the efforts would yield the desired results or otherwise.
“Rehabilitating mentally ill patients is our duty as a people but the way we treat them is not the best. We must, therefore, change our attitude towards mentally ill patients so that we reap the required results,” she stressed.
Madam Bukari, who was speaking at the inauguration of a GH¢474,000 community psychiatry unit for the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa, advised people to show more love to mentally ill patients by feeding and clothing them.
She said since psychiatry had no respect for personalities, “we must at least visit a psychiatrist once in a year to ascertain the state of our mental health”.
Madam Bukari further urged people not to continuously harbour things in their minds and they must also eat balanced diets and drink more water.
She gave the assurance that six psychiatry nurses would be posted to Wa to man the facility.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, who performed the inaugural ceremony, said the facility would provide access for mental health care in the region.
He said the government was committed to the training of more mental health nurses and the upgrading of existing mental health care facilities.
Mr Khalid stressed the need for the government to provide the necessary incentives to entice more students to be trained in mental health.
The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, expressed concern about stigmatisation of mental patients and even personnel who handled mentally ill patients.
He commended Basic Needs, a non-governmental organisation, the financiers of the project.
Dr Nang-Beifubah appealed for more human resources and logistics to enhance mental health care delivery in the region.