"Volta Region is a potential tourist area" - Minister-designate

Accra, March 31, GNA - Colonel Cyril Roosevelt Necku (Rtd), Deputy Volta Regional Minister-designate has said that the economic potential of the region would be harnessed to create job opportunities and also alleviate the poverty of the people. He said the region has a lot of tourism sites which could be developed into viable ventures to create wealth for the youth and people of the area. Col Necku said this when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday.

He said he would work in line with the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) manifesto to realize his vision for the people of the Volta Region. The nominee expressed the hope that the various land and chieftaincy disputes which had held back the development of the area would be amicably resolved, and assured the Committee that he would not take sides in the conflicts. Col Necku said in a situation where the conflicts may escalate he would call on the Regional Security Council to maintain peace while a lasting solution to problems are solved. On smuggling, Col Necku said smuggling is not peculiar to the Volta Region alone but at almost all the country's boarders and that he would ensure that the Customs and the regional security agencies are strengthened to curb the menace.

He said there was the need to educate the people of the area about economic implications of allowing people to smuggle petroleum products and other items across the boarders. "Although I have not been given the nod as the Deputy Minister, but as a concerned citizen, I together with the people have been able to impound petroleum products being smuggled out of the country." He said the impounded petroleum products in jerry cans and gallons are in the custody of the police at Aflao.

On the spate of armed robberies on the Accra-Aflao road, the Deputy Minister-designate assured the Committee that all efforts would be made to curb the incidence and suggested the placing of plain cloth military personnel on buses plying the route to deter the robbers. 31 March 09