Government urged to mechanise agriculture

Nalerigu, (N/R), June 4, GNA - The Nayiri Na-Bohagu Mahami Sheriga, Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area has appealed to the Government to mechanize agriculture to increase food production in the country.

He said the age-old subsistence method of food cultivation had failed to produce enough food to feed the country. He also asked the Government to provide employment for the youth.

The Nayiri was speaking at a durbar of the Chiefs and People of the Mamprugu Traditional Area in honour of the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama at Nalerigu on Thursday as part of his tour of the East Mamprusi District.

Nayiri Mahami Sheriga appealed to the Government to construct large-scale dams and small-scale irrigation facilities and provide tractor services to farmers to ensure all year round farming. Tractors should also be sold to those who could afford them on hire purchase basis.

On the up-coming general election, the Nayiri advised Political Party Leaders, aspiring Parliamentary Candidates and their supporters to refrain from the use of abusive, offensive and inflammatory language, which was likely to generate ill feeling, which could lead to the breach of the peace.

He said politics was "about explaining your views and policies to the people and persuading them to vote for you and not a matter of life and death, which should turn your political opponents into your enemies".

Nayiri Mahami Sheriga asked the Government to study carefully the appeals being made in certain quarters for the creation of a new region out of the Northern Region, because of its vastness that did not augur well for effective administration before a final decision was taken. He said although he shared in principle the arguments being forwarded for the creation of a new region, he was of the view that extensive consultations should be carried out before a decision was made.

The Nayiri appealed to the Government to establish a training college at Gambaga to take care of the three districts of Mamprugu. It should also construct a bridge over the White Volta to link the "Overseas Area" with the rest of the West Mamprusi District.

Vice President Aliu commended the people of the area for the relative peace prevailing there and for the successful selection of a new Nayiri without any incident.

The Vice President earlier on inspected construction works on a 20-metre span bridge over the Susiliga River, linking Langbinsi to Gambaga.

The project is being undertaken by Al Khodari, a construction firm with a loan of 2.6 million dollars from the Arab Bank for Economic Development. The Government of Ghana is providing the counterpart funding of 1.6 billion cedis.

At Bunkpurugu, The Chief, Na Lambon Tapang commended the Government for creating the Bunkprugu/Yunyoo District and also providing education and health facilities.

He, however, appealed to the Government to post more nurses and teachers to man the facilities.

Vice president Aliu said the creation of new districts was to open up the area and bring development to the doorstep of the people and urged the youth to engage themselves in meaningful activities that would generate income for them to improve upon their living conditions and also enable them to fulfil their tax obligations. At Gambaga and Nalerigu, the Vice President introduced Hajia Alima Mahama, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiative (PSI) as the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Gamabaga/Nalerigu Constituency for the Election 2004.