Veep asks chiefs to be development oriented

Wa, Sept. 8, GNA- Vice President Aliu Mahama on Friday asked chiefs to be aggressive in lobbying Government for development projects in their communities.

"You have to be proactive and aggressive in crying your own cry," he stressed, when he addressed the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs in Wa, as part of his four-day official visit to the Region. "If you are not aggressive and vocal, nobody would mind you. Most often, it is people who make the loudest noise who attracts the biggest share of the national cake."

Vice President Alhaji Mahama said as long as chiefs sat back and looked up to Government for all the needs of their communities, the development process would be slow.

He observed that the time had come for development oriented chiefs to make their mark in the chieftaincy institution and not "arm- chair chiefs."

Vice President Alhaji Mahama expressed dissatisfaction about the chieftaincy and land disputes that cropped up frequently in some traditional areas and challenged chiefs and other traditional authorities to channel the energies of their subjects in the fight against poverty, which was the commonest enemy in every community. He said such factional conflicts discouraged investors and undermined the quality leadership demanded from chiefs. Vice President Alhaji Mahama announced a 40 million-Euro water project for the Region, which he said would solve the perennial water problems of a number of communities.

Referring to the death of the Wa-Na Alhaji Yakubu Seidu Soale, he asked the House to follow the laid down procedures to enskinned a new Wa-na to ensure peace and stability in the traditional area.

Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of Local Government,Rural Development and Environment expressed the need for Government to create a link between chiefs and the local government system to make them abreast of all development issues in their localities. Mr. Magnus Opare Asamoah, Deputy Minister of Transportation said the Tinga- Bamboi Road would be awarded on contract in November, this year for rehabilitation.

He said Government had committed over 60 billion cedis for the tarring, resurfacing and regravelling of a number of roads in the Region, whilst a total of 121 kilometres of roads have also been targetted for next year.

Mr. Asamoah said Government was seeking donor assistance for the rehabilitation of the Wa- Hamile road, which constituted the western corridor of the country.

Mr. Ambrose Dery, Regional Minister, charged the chiefs to be at the forefront of the revenue drive to facilitate the payment of befitting sitting allowances, anytime they met as a House. Vice President Alhaji Mahama would use his duty tour to visit all the eight districts in the Region, where he would inspect a number of development projects and interact with the chiefs and people.