Northerners urged to change mindset to benefit from SADA

Kuoro Barecheh Nlowie Baninye II, Acting President of the Zini Buwa Traditional Area in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, has appealed to people in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions to change their mindset and work harder to come out of the entrenched poverty that had plagued them for sometime now.

He said government had started to implement the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Programme to mitigate the suffering of the people in the three northern regions.

He, however, expressed regret that the people would not gain anything from SADA if they failed to change their mindset and think about the development of their “traditional home” first.

Kuoro Baninye was addressing chiefs and people of the Zini Buwa Traditional Area at the “Kelwie” festival at Zini on Saturday, on the theme: “Sustaining a culture of peace and unity - Foundation of a proud and progressive Ghana”.

He said the development of the north should be of paramount importance to all and all must avoid malfeasance and individual quest for the acquisition of wealth in the implementation of the Programme.

He reminded those involved in the implementation of SADA that, wealth was not the secret of happiness. "The secret of life is not enjoyment but education through experience", he said, adding that if power could ensure security then officials should walk unguarded. “Those who live simply sleep simply”.

Kuoro Baninye who is also Niator Kuoro, urged government to place education as first in her development agenda to enable Ghana to take its proper place in championing African excellence. “Quality education for every child and young persons must be our top priority to achieve such a remarkable agenda.”

He commended government, the Sports Council and all concerned for naming the Kumasi Sports Stadium after Baba Yara, a native of Zini, and urged government to establish a sports college at Zini in honour of Baba Yara to train his brothers and sisters in the area who could take after him.

Kuoro Baninye expressed concern about the abuse of the environment through charcoal and bush burning, and called for appropriate measures to help address the menace.

The traditional festival is named “Kelwie”, the antecedent of an ancestoral tree of the Buwa known as 'Buwaala Kelwie-Wero', the symbol of Buwa which the people of the clan celebrate annually.**