Let education be your priority

By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
Former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama has encouraged the people of Zuarungu to take their education seriously, with much emphasis on the internet as a source of acquiring knowledge.

According to him, the world, today, is being driven by 'knowledge and technology,' and it would be suicidal for one to ignore the internet as a source of acquiring knowledge.

'Whatever you do, including agricultural activities, value must be added. Value can only be added through acquisition of knowledge. There is great resource base of knowledge on the internet that is free. However, it can only be exploited properly, if one knows what is being looked for. So the more people that get exposed to education, the better,' he said.

The former Vice President made this remark when he joined the people and chiefs of Zuarungu to celebrate their Ndaakoya festival on Satuday, February 27, 2011, under the theme: 'Sustaining Rural Development through traditional leaders.'

To sustain development in the Zuarungu community, the former Vice President tasked the traditional authorities to be actively engaged in the fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease, adding, 'Poverty is the main enemy, and the main weapon to fight it is education.'

That notwithstanding, Alhaji Mahama said infrastructure was another mark of development, and urged the government and the people of Zuarungu to ensure that investments are made in potable water facilities, schools, electrification, health facilities, as well as feeder roads.

'I believe that such a broad ranging development agenda would have more impact if the people, with the support of their chiefs, truly understand what is expected of them and government. With that understanding, they would appreciate the role expected of them, and thereby, own the results of development,' he said.

He urged the youth in the country to support their traditional leaders to engage the government for developmental projects in their various communities.

He said if the government does not get on well with the traditional leaders, very little could be achieved by way of development.

He said festivals were an important part of the lives of the people of Ghana, since it affords the government and the people the opportunity to come together to review relationships, and discuss development issues.

In that regard, Alhaji Mahama urged traditional authorities countrywide to constantly modernise the way festivals are celebrated, since it helps to mobilise the people to discuss government policies, using the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project as an example, where the people of Zuarungu could come together and discuss how the project would also be of benefit to them.

He described the Chief of Zuarungu as an outstanding model of a modern development-minded traditional leader, and tasked other traditional authorities across the country to strengthen partnerships with their people and the government, saying: 'Mobilisation to tackle the challenges of development in a complex global world will be much easier to accomplish.'

Former Vice President Aliu Mahama therefore, appealed to the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, to revisit the contract awarded to a company to construct the roads in the Zuarungu township, since the contractor had failed to deliver.