President appeals to Mamprusis in Bawku to re-join peace committee

Bolgatanga, March 25, GNA-President John Atta Mills on Friday appealed to the Mamprusis in Bawku to reconsider their decision to break away from the Inter Ethnic Peace Committee of Bawku to join in pursuit of lasting peace.

He urged the people of Bawku to lay a strong foundation for the youth and not reel under the illusion that peace reigns adding, 93there is peace in Bawku but that is not enough to bring the needed development and improve the lives of the people as should be the case."

The President made the appeal when he met the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs on Friday in Bolgatanga to interact with the 17 paramount chiefs as part of his three day visit to the Region to inspect ongoing development projects and cut sods for others to start. He said the goal of the government was development and improving the lives of the people of Ghana and that was being done by the provision of infrastructure, creating jobs, improving the health sector and encouraging investment. President Mills reiterated his disapproval of politics of insults which a section of the media continue to echo, saying that words could either build or destroy and that Ghanaians should not destroy what the older generation had built for them. "We were not taught to insult those we disagree with, it is not part of our culture and we should teach that to our younger generation", he said.

He said his government had done a lot during the two year period and would do more in the next two years. "We will succeed where others are predicting failure, and I urge the youth to have hope for a better Ghana", he said. Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, in welcoming the President, enumerated the many completed development projects and those which are on-going and appealed for some of the houses units under the STX Housing project to be allocated to the health sector workers in the region. He said the provision of certain facilities to the health sector had improved health delivery in the region. The Regional Minister mentioned in particular, the rehabilitated Bolgatanga Hospital, construction and equipping of an ultra-modern regional cold room, health service resource centre, medicine production and storage centre at the medical stores, an Auditorium for the community health training school at Tono-Navrongo, rehabilitation of the Bolgatanga Nurses Training College and the provision of 44 new vehicles, 481 motorbikes and 20 saloon cars for health personnel. He disclosed that subscription of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the region had increased from 60 per cent in December 2008 to 80.19 per cent December 2010 and that all claims to service providers had been paid.

Pe Charles Awampaga, Paramount Chief of Paga and President of the Regional House of Chiefs, thanked the government for bringing many development projects to the Upper East Region and appealed to President Mills to help the House rehabilitate its conference hall which is in a bad shape.

He also appealed for means of transport for the House, assistance to build a guest house for the chiefs and the rehabilitation of the Navrongo-Tumu road.

President Mills will later cut the sod for the construction of the Bolgatanga Sports Complex, visit the Vea water treatment plant that supplies Bolgatanga Township with potable water. 25 March 11