A united Ghana would sustain her peace and democracy-Woyongo

Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, on Tuesday said national unity would create the strongest foundation for sustaining peace and democracy in the country.

He noted that peace was the basis on which every development and general well-being of citizens are secured, and that for society and its institutions to be were preserved, peace must be protected at all cost.

Mr Woyongo made the assertion during the 55th Independence Day celebration in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital.

About 2070 school children drawn from 32 primary schools, 28 Junior High Schools and nine Senior High Schools in the Municipality took part in the Parade.

One hundred and eighty member contingent and six officers drawn from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Prisons Service joined the parade.

Political stability in Ghana, the Minister indicated, had earned her the accolade “oasis of peace in the sub-region”, and said it had enhanced investor confidence thus attracting investment in the mining, finance, energy, agricultural and commercial sectors of the economy.

He observed that peace had returned to Bawku and its environs, and indicated that people were confidently going about their normal businesses.

The Minister was however quick to call on ethnic groups in the area to exercise the highest level of restraint to sustain the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the area.

“I wish to appeal to all peace building institutions and individuals to continue to intensify their various activities that will promote peace in the area”, he added and noted that “in an area where there is no peace, the pace of development would not only slow down but resources would be channeled into the maintenance of peace”.

On education, Mr Woyongo indicated that government was making efforts at restructuring and improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools with the provision of adequate resources.

This, he indicated, would provide continual monitoring and supervision by the Ghana Education Service at all levels of education.

He expressed optimism that the eradication of schools under-trees and the construction of 293 schools, distribution of 113,552 free school uniforms and the expansion of the School Feeding Programme in the Region, would create a congenial environment for teaching and learning.

He expressed dismay at the abysmal performance of schools in the Region at the basic level and called on stakeholders to collaborate more efficiently and come up with strategies to holistically push education onto the highest pedestal.

Mr Woyongo called on the media to eschew negative tendencies that could lead to violence and jeopardize the country’s fledgling democracy.

“As we journey towards election 2012, I wish to appeal to the media to be circumspect in their reportage. The media can be a good master but at the same time a bad master”, he cautioned.

In an address, the Regional Director of Education, Mr. Paul Apanga, indicated that the independence of Ghana was not achieved on a silver platter but took great determination, courage and conviction backed by clear vision of devoted leadership.

He expressed worry about the fallen standards of education in the three northern regions, adding that last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) showed that less than 40 per cent of pupils in the Upper East Region qualified for placement in Senior High Schools.

He called on managers of education, teachers and students to approach their work with a sense of determination, courage and the conviction to attain better results in subsequent examinations.

In a solidarity message, the Governor of the Savannah Region of Togo, Haj Mossijamba Ali Seidu, said Ghana had indeed demonstrated continual peace in the sub-region, and added that bilateral relationship between both countries would be strengthened.

This year’s celebration was under the theme, “Sustaining peace and Democracy for national unity and development”.

Present at the ceremony were delegations from the South Central Province of Burkina Faso led by its Governor, Madam Thiombiano Mainonna, Governor of the Central East Province of Burkina Faso, Mr Diallo Allahidi, the Member of the Council of State of the Upper East Region, Very Reverend Dr Jacob Ayeebo, and the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Edward Ayagle, as well as Heads of Schools.