Minister appeals for support to administer the region

Tamale,Oct.21, GNA - Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Northern Regional Minister has appealed to traditional rulers and opinion leaders to bring their experiences and expertise to bear on the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) for the successful administration of the region.

"You must all be part of the success story of my administration but be singled out for blame if I failed in my administration." Alhaji Boniface made the appeal when five Traditional Chiefs from the Zabzugu/Tatale District paid a courtesy call on him at Tamale. The Chiefs were: Jankuga Na Salifu Andani, Kpalisog Na Yakubu Adani, Kukuo Na Salifu, Zangbalin Lana Alhassan and Malitima Na Bawa. He said the appeal was a wake up call for people in the region and gave an assurance that administration at the NRCC was open, therefore, people should feel free to come and make genuine contributions for the effective administration of the region.

Alhaji Boniface said the region was endowed with natural resources which if exploited would help reduce poverty and conflicts as well as migration among the youth.

He assured the chiefs that their request would be communicated to the Government and sector ministries for consideration. The Regional Minister however, appealed to the chiefs to facilitate peace in the district, saying: "investors are afraid to come and invest in the region because of the conflict situation". He said for instance the management of Coca Cola Ghana Limited had planned to establish a factory at Tamale to cater for the northern sector and neighbouring countries but had to abandon the idea due to conflicts in the region.

Alhaji Boniface called on the people to see themselves as one people and dialogue to resolve problems, because it was not easy to administer a region of conflicts and called for support and cooperation from the people, especially the chiefs to make administration in the region successful.

The Jankuga Na, Andani, Spokesman for the chiefs appealed to the Government to open the Shani Iron mine, which was mined by the Germans before World War Two to create employment for the youth.

He called on the Government to provide the district with a hospital to cater for the health needs of the people and those in neighbouring Togo.

Na Andani said efforts should be made to rehabilitate the Zabzugu town roads and the main Zabzugu-Yendi road to Togo to facilitate free movement of goods and people.

He appealed to the Government to provide dams and dugouts for some communities in the district that could not be provided with boreholes due to low water table in those areas.

The Jankuga Na said, "The way and manner you are administering the region, it appears you look so simple but very effective. We want to recommend you for your 'positive neutrality' in governing the Region."