Maintain peace to help bridge North-South development gap - Woyongo

Bawku, April 3, GNA - The good programmes and policies of government aimed at bridging the development gap between the Northern and Southern parts of Ghana would become a mirage if the people in the Northern part continue to engage in conflicts. Government is committed to the development of the Upper West, Upper East, and Northern Region (the three Northern regions) that have been deprived for so long for that part to catch up with the Southern part of the country.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, said these when he paid a maiden visit to the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II to introduce himself as the regional minister and to solicit his support for the running of the affairs of the area.

The Regional Minister stressed that unless peace and stability were restored to the three Northern regions, it would be difficult for government to realize its vision for the area.

Mr. Woyongo appealed to the chiefs and people of the area especially those in Bawku to help find a lasting solution to the protracted conflicts and ensure peace and harmony to enable them to fight poverty, diseases and ignorance that had retarded progress. He mentioned the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), establishment of the Sheanut Industry Board, efforts to improve the agricultural sector including subsidizing farming inputs and making them accessible to farmers through the reactivating of the Farmers Services Company (FASCOM), and the construction and desilting of dams as some of the intended policies of government for the area. Mr. Woyongo said that with the introduction of these policies and other interventions by government and the international community, more jobs would be created to bridge the development gap. This, the Minister, said would prevent the people in the three regions from migrating to the southern sector in search of non-existent jobs.

Mr. Woyongo also mentioned the provision of free school uniforms to school children in deprived areas of the country and increasing the number of beneficiary schools under the School Feeding Programme to encourage more children to go to school as other government plans to improve the living conditions of the people. Naba Azoka II observed that the only thing that could bring about peace in the area was the coming out with the truth concerning chieftaincy issues in the three Northern regions.

He asked the Peace Council to make known its findings about the conflict in the area and urged government to state its position on the cause of the conflict and resolve it once and for all. Naba Azoka said he had asked the sub chiefs of the area to talk to the people about peace and assured the Regional Minister that he and the elders would support him in the discharge of his duties. The Minister also visited the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaruum and commended him for maintaining peace in the area, Mr. Woyongo urged Naba Aleemyaruum and the elders to ensure sustenance of peace for the development of the area and thanked the people for voting massively for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Election 2008.

Naba Aleeemyaruum appealed to the Minister to ensure that the 10-kilometres Bolgatanga-Bongo road and Bongo-Namo road were rehabilitated and completion of work on the Bongo-Beon bridge to facilitate socio-economic activities in the area. The Paramount Chief appealed to government to build a police barracks to accommodate police personnel in the area and pledged the people's support for the Minister. 3 April 09

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