Govt's opponents advised to use clean methods to express views

Dorimon (U/W), March 24, GNA - Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, on Wednesday advised opponents of the government not to hide behind street demonstrations to insult people in authority. He said although the Constitution guaranteed the right for people to express their opinions freely without any fear, the form of expressing such opinions could alter the substance of such rights and endanger the stability of the nation.

Mr Dery gave the advice at separate interactions with the chiefs and people of Dorimon and Kaleo Traditional areas in the Wa West and Nadowli districts respectively.

The visits to the two areas formed part of his familiarization tour of the region to meet traditional authorities, acquaint himself with problems confronting their communities and explain government policies to them.

He said in expressing their opinions, agitators must respect the Constitution and try to be civil and treat people in authority with decorum.

The Regional Minister told the people of Dorimon that it was the prerogative of the President of the country to nominate people for approval as District Chief Executives and advised them to shelve any local arrangement with regard to appointment to that position and accept whoever would be nominated as DCE.

Naa Danaa Sohamnininye Gore, Paramount chief of the area, assured the Regional Minister that they would cooperate with revenue staff in the district to mobilize funds for the District Assembly. He appealed to the government not to pump all the resources meant for the take-off of the new district on the construction of structures at Wechiau, the district capital alone to the detriment of other key communities such as Dorimon.

At Kaleo in the Nadowli District, Mr Dery commended the people for the peace and unity prevailing in the area and expressed the hope that the conflict prone communities would emulate them.

He explained the rationale behind the recent hike in prices of petroleum products, saying, it was intended to remove the subsidies and free about two trillion cedis for other social services, which would lift poor communities from their predicament and further check the smuggling of products to neighbouring countries whose prices were much higher.

Naa Banaamini Sandu the second, Paramount Chief of the Kaleo Traditional area, suggested to the government to use some HIPC and other funds meant for poverty alleviation projects on the rehabilitation and construction of dams and dugouts in the North to promote all-year round agricultural activities.

He called for the speeding up of the proposed President's Special Initiative on Sorghum and Cotton in Northern Ghana as a way of reducing poverty in those areas.