Sandema (U/E), Dec 20, GNA – Nab Azagsuk Azantilow, Paramount Chief of the Builsa Traditional Area, has called on the Inspector-General of the Ghana Police Service to increase the number of police in the area to minimize crime.
Nab Azantilow said there were increased security threats in the Builsa Traditional Area, especially armed robbery, but the number of police personnel was inadequate to deal with the situation.
“I call on the Inspector-General of Police to consider increasing the number of Police officers in our Traditional Area,” he said.
The Paramount Chief made the appeal in a speech delivered on his behalf at this year’s Feok festival celebrated by people of the Buluk Traditional area in Sandema.
It was held on the theme: “Sustainability of economic trees, way forward for development in Buluk.”
The annual festival, which attracted sons and daughters of Buluk and members of the public, was part of the annual activities to show appreciation to their forefathers, who fought slave raiders and to ask for protection from their ancestors.
The Builsa people, who used the occasion to thank their ancestors for a successful farming season and bountiful harvest, also displayed the rich culture of the area to remind, especially the youth, of their cultural heritage.
Nab Azantinlow noted that the absence of a Commercial Bank in the area was a source of worry and called on, especially the Ghana Commercial Bank, to extend its branches and services to the area which is now municipality and explained that “ citizens continue to be attacked by armed robbers when they travel outside the municipality to transact businesses with the same Commercial Banks.”
He emphasized that the presence of more branches of the Commercial Bank will also curb the incidence of workers commuting to Navrongo in the Kassena Nankana Municipality and the Bolgatanga Municipality to transact businesses, which take longer hours return.
“I, therefore, call on the government to facilitate the establishment of a commercial bank here in Buluk,” the Paramount Chief said and added that Sandema, in the Builsa North Municipality, has only Builsa Community Bank (BUCOBANK) to serve residents, most of whom are public servants, who do not receive their salaries from that Bank.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, who addressed the Chiefs and people, noted the significant role of economic trees and said “For when the last tree dies, the last man equally dies.”
He said the theme resonated with the clarion call on the citizenry to use every available opportunity to plant, cater and protect economic trees in a very effective, efficient and sustainable way to bring development along with the rich culture and tradition that was passed on to them by the forebears.
Mr Yakubu urged the people of Buluk to endeavour to protect their environment from indiscriminate bush fires, illegal mining and felling of trees for charcoal, among others and further admonished them to hand down good values and ideals from their forefathers to future generations without blemish.
GNA