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Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Minister of Inner City and Zongo Development, has assured Ghanaians of Government’s determination to improve the livelihoods of 4.6 million residents living in Zongo communities across the country.

   The Minister said he was determined to work hard to change the negative tag placed on Zongo communities as being places of “violent and storehouse of hooligans” and make sure they lived dignified lives with integrity.

   He said the Ministry had conducted a baseline assessment on the needs of Zongo communities in five regions including Upper East, Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Central regions to provide social interventions to alleviate poverty in those areas.

   He noted that the survey discovered that there were 1,080 Zongo communities in 66 districts and 133 towns nationwide made up of multifaceted ethnic groups contributing towards the development of the nation, hence their needs must be of national priority.

   Dr Abdul-Hamid gave the assurance when he took his turn at the Meet-the Press series in Accra, on Tuesday.

   The media encounter afforded him the opportunity to render account of his stewardship, achievements and challenges of the Ministry and chart the way forward.

   He said 300 women in Zongo communities in the Greater Accra Region would receive training to improve packaging of notable Zongo delicacies to enhance their profit margin.

   Touching on the water and sanitation situation in Zongo communities, Dr Abdul-Hamid said the Ministry had constructed 15 water systems in 15 Zongo communities in 10 districts across the country, with nine of them completed.