The electrification of the district school, the construction of a meeting place for traditional chiefs and a police station, as well as the rehabilitation and equipping of a community radio: these projects carried out in Lakota, situated 250 km northwest of Abidjan, by the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) as part of its Quick Impact Projects Programme (QIPs), were inaugurated on Thursday, 20 February 2014, in the presence of the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Arnauld Akodjénou. The projects cost a total of 40 million FCFA (approximately $80,000).



Mr. Akodjénou assured the people of Lakota of the support of the United Nations and delivered a message of peace from UNOCI, expressing the hope that Lakota will soon begin its development. "You should not only live together but become reconciled so that investors can come to your area," he told them.

The local authorities for their part expressed their gratitude to the United Nations in their messages.



The Prefect of the department who presided over the ceremony, Coulibaly Yahaya, thanked the United Nations on behalf of the Ivorian State, before making a link between the four projects and local development. "By supporting the department's school, UNOCI is participating in the intellectual development of a reconciled department, and following the village chiefs encounter in their new meeting place, their messages of reconciliation will be broadcast by Radio Lôkôda in a place where security will be provided by the forces working in the new-look police station," he said.



For his part, the Mayor of the commune, Samy Merhy, in his welcome speech, recognised the role played by the United Nations as an actor of development. "You should know that our town is today in the process of development. By what you have done today, you have also become actors in this development which is just starting," he added.

Speaking on behalf of the people of Lakota, Joachim Kpokro Djah, said that by carrying out these projects, the United Nations had once again shown its humanitarian and social action character.



Among the highlights of the ceremony were visits to the different projects by the United Nations delegation which provided an opportunity for it see the joy of the different beneficiaries.



After switching on the lights at the departmental school, signing of a golden book of the traditional chiefs, and visiting the police station, Arnauld Akodjénou gave a live interview to « Lôkôda Fm » during a press conference and a programme on strengthening social cohesion.