Sekoti youth threaten to boycott 2004 election

Sekoti (UE), Nov. 24, GNA - The youth of Sekoti in the newly created Talensi/Nabdam District of the Upper East Region have vowed not to vote in next year's general elections if immediate steps were not taken to solve their water Problem.

"No politician should come to worry us for votes if our appeal for the rehabilitation of our only dam, which was washed away four years ago is not taken seriously," The paramount chief of the area, Sekoti Naba, Sigri Bewong, has declared.

The Sekoti Naba was delivering the welcoming address at a durbar organised by the chiefs and people of the area to mark their annual "Tenglebigre" festival. It was under the theme: "Girl-child Education: Nabdams Send All Your Daughters to School".

Naba Bewong appealed to the authorities to rehabilitate the dam, as a matter of urgency, to provide water for the people and their animals during the dry season.

He said his traditional area would constitute a panel as part of the festival activities to deliberate on negative socio-cultural practices that hinder the education of females in the area.

Naba Bewong expressed the appreciation of the people to the government for creating the Talensi/Nabdam District, pledging that they would continue to maintain the peace and support the government to achieve its development goals.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, commended the chiefs and people of the area for providing exemplary leadership in the promotion of girl-child education in the region.

He said statistics indicated that during the 2001/2002 academic year, eight girls from the Sekoti Junior Secondary School gained admission into second cycle institution based on their outstanding performance.

The Regional Minister said there had been a steady increase in the enrolment of girls in basic schools in the region from a little over 100,000 in 1999 to more than 150,000 in 2003.

He thanked the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Action Aid-Ghana, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Catholic Relief Service (CRS), other development partners, as well as the local communities for their support to the government's girl-education programme.

Mr Salifu, however, expressed regret that schools in the region had not shown enough commitment to the girl-chid education programme to justify continuous support form development partners.

"I must emphasize that most of our development partners in this region have not been happy with the levels of commitment and dedication our professionals have shown in the implementation of interventions aimed at reducing poverty through access to education and health delivery in this region," he said.

He advised the people to also use the platforms provided by the festival to re-examine some socio-cultural practices such as elopement of young girls and multiple marriages that tend to promote the spread of HIV/AIDS.