His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, President of the Republic Of Ghana, has advised traditional rulers in the Upper East Region to see peace as a roadmap to development.
The President noted that, his government will only develop communities that cultivate peace and unity amongst their people and its leaders.
President Akuffo Addo mentioned this at the annual Feok festival which is celebrated by the people of Sandema and its environs in the Builsa North District in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo further commended Nab Azagsuk Azantinlo II, the Paramount Chief of the Sandema Traditional area, for the prolonged peace and unity in the area and encouraged him to do more for the growth of the community and region at large. He emphasized that peace is key to development, hence, his government expects other communities, districts, as well as regions to copy same.
The Feok festival is celebrated annually by the people of Sandema and its environs, to commemorate the victory of the indigenes over slave raiders led by ‘Babatu’ in the 18th century, and to celebrate a good harvest.
The celebration was themed: ‘Getting Buli Language into the Educational Curriculum and 10 Years of Peaceful Coexistence among the People of Buluk’.
Nab Azagsuk Azantinlo II during the festival, called on policy makers and implementers in the educational sector to find ways that can get the ‘Buli’ Language into the Educational Curriculum for growth. He however, assured that peace will continue to exist in the area until the world comes to an end.
Regional Minister Blames Low Dev’t Of Upper East On Youth Alcoholism & Others
Meanwhile, Hon Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, has revealed that youth alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, partisan politics, and others are causing the region not to develop to its peak.
According to the minister, the high levels of these behaviours among others are the factors contributing to the slow pace of development in the Upper East Region. He noted that these are vices the region is currently witnessing.
Speaking at an annual festival celebration held at Zuarungu, Mr. Yakubu called on traditional leaders, parents, and stakeholders that matter to up their games by coming out with measures to reduce such behaviours amongst the youth for the growth of the region.
“Sustainable development cannot be achieved in the wake of increasing teenage pregnancy, theft and robberies, alcoholism, and over-politicizing issues. Everything in this region is politics and we need to reduce it.”
Stephen Yakubu
The Minister opined that the youth in the region should take advantage of the numerous interventions such as the Planting for Food and Jobs, Youth Afforestation, YouStart, and others the government is putting in place to advance their growth.
The festival dubbed ‘N’daakoya’ is a yearly event celebrated by the people of Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region to drum home the development needs of the region.
The Paramount Chief of Zuarungu, Naba Bilia Maltinga Afegra III, took advantage of the event to call on families and relatives from far and near to see the growth of the area as paramount. According to him, the area can only develop if the natives begin establishing businesses and other development projects like they do in other areas
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