By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA
Busa, (UWR), May 12, GNA – Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Minister, has appealed to people in the region to prioritise their political orientation for adequate share of resources for development.
He noted that for the past years, the country’s political power and resources had always been in the hands and managed either by the NPP or NDC and it would be politically unwise for the people to always continue to vote enmass for one particular political party as against the other all the time.
“This orientation needed a change, our voting pattern needed a balance so that at any given time, the region could always gain some resources for development no matter which party was in power”, he pointed out.
Mr Yakubu made the appeal during separate visits to the Busa and Guli Paramountcies in the Waala Traditional Council to introduce himself to the Busa Naa, Ali Seidu Pelpuo Yelmaana, Paramount Chief of the Busa Traditional Area and the Guli Naa Nubalanaang Seidu Braimah Paramount Chief of the Guli Traditional Area to solicit their support and cooperation to administer the region.
He said the high poverty levels among the people in the region was man’s making and urged people to evolve new ways of doing things, especially in the political, economic, social and cultural practices; turn round and create wealth for themselves to improve livelihoods to reduce poverty.
He called on the youth, in particular, to always take advantage of government’s pro-poor policies and programmes to improve themselves.
Mr Yakubu expressed gratitude to the traditional rulers and the people of the region for ensuring peace and urged them to partner his administration by guaranteeing adequate peace, and working together on all fronts to bring the much needed development to the region.
He announced that the government was providing the region with a total of 110 boreholes to the 11 municipalities and districts in the region for the provision of potable water to communities, which were faced with inadequate water challenges.
Some of the boreholes would be mechanised while others would be fixed with a hand pump.
The Busa Naa, Seidu Pelpuo, commended the government for tarring the Wa-Busa road, which had helped facilitate the movement of the people, goods and services, while appealing for the establishment of a modern market to promote more economic activities in the communities to reduce poverty.
He appealed to the government to consider upgrading the Busa Health Centre to a Polyclinic to cater for the health needs of people while efforts should be made to dredge the Busa Dam to facilitate dry season vegetable farming and livestock production in the area.
On agriculture, the Busa Naa urged the government to always supply farmers with the needed inputs and equipment, especially fertilizers and extension services on time to enable them increase their acreages to produce more food for domestic consumption and for export.
The Guli Naa Nubalanaang Braimah pledged the Paramountcy’s fullest support to Mr Yakubu to administer the region to bring development to the region.
He, however, expressed disappointment at the way lands, which were released to the government for the establishment of development projects were now being sold out to private developers instead of returning them to the original owners of those lands.
He said the practice could bring about mistrust between the government and traditional authorities regarding the release of lands for development purposes if not stopped now.
He appealed to the Wa Municipal Assembly to provide furniture and textbooks to the Guli Primary and Junior High Schools to promote teaching and learning.
GNA