Create enabling environment for development, chiefs urged

By Samuel Akapule, GNA
Nakong (U/E) May 2, GNA - Mr Albert Abongo, Upper East Regional Minister, has called on chiefs in the region to create an enabling environment for development to thrive.

He said this during various visits to each of the seventeen paramount chiefs of the area.

The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Bongo Constituency, said without peace, government and other development partners could not address the challenges in the area.

Whilst commending some of the chiefs for contributing to the maintenance of peace in their areas, he urged others to do more to resolve their concerns so as to pave way for accelerated development.

'This part of the country has a lot of developmental challenges and our focus should not be conflicts. The government and other development partners will need a peaceful environment to help push the agenda of the development forward. We as government appointees need your support to galvanise the people in your communities for development', he said.

Responding to majority of the chiefs who complained of lack of dugouts for dry season irrigation farming, educational and health infrastructure and poor road network, Mr Abongo who was accompanied by Dr Robert Kugnab -Lam, the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, said government was committed to addressing their needs.

'You can testify that this government has initiated a lot of development projects including schools, and health infrastructure as well as the provision of water to most communities across the region and the country'.

Mr Abongo said one of government's major interventions initiated to help bridge the development gap between the north and the south was the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) which would facilitate the construction of more dams.

Most of the chiefs lauded the efforts of the Government for initiating some development projects in their communities and impressed upon the Minister to do more to help improve the livelihoods of the people.

The chiefs blessed the Regional Minister and his deputy and gave them the assurance that they would continue to render support and advice to them to run the administration of the region smoothly.

Some of the traditional areas the Minister and his entourage visited included Bongo,Bawku , Kayoro, Katiu, Tongo, Navrongo, Nakong, Builsa and Sakoti.

GNA