By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), Jan. 23, GNA – Charles Lwanga Puozuing (Esq), the Upper West Regional Minister-designate, says he desires to leave a legacy for young people in the region during his reign as the regional minister.
“They always say leaders are chosen by God, so once he (President John Dramani Mahama) is back and I’ve been chosen, my duty is to put in the skill, ability, and leadership skills I must lead the Upper West Region to a different level.
It is all about leaving a legacy as a young man for the youth, so that in the future I will be recognised as one of the best regional ministers the Upper West has had”, he stated.
Mr Puozuing, 47, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa following his appointment by President Mahama on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, as the Upper West Regional Minister-designate pending approval by Parliament.
He explained that the Upper West Region was endowed with many young people, and he would leverage their youthful exuberance to facilitate the region’s development.
“My reign will basically concentrate on the youth, both young men and women so that we will move Upper West to the next level”, Mr Puozuing, who is the Upper Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), indicated.
He explained that he would prioritise job creation for the youth in the region through the coders and apprenticeship programmes.
He added that he would also leverage the farmer services center initiative as contained in the NDC’s 2024 campaign manifesto to entice the youth into agriculture.
The Regional Minister-designate said those three initial interventions would engage the youth in economic activities while waiting for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank to enhance entrepreneurship among young women.
Mr Puozuing said he would activate his lobbying prowess to ensure that the region’s major roads were part of the national road network.
As he is expected to assume duty as soon as possible, Mr Puozuing would be faced with four major responsibilities and expectations of the people in the region to put the region on a development trajectory.
Key among them would be to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Wa-Sawla-Bole-Bamboi-Wenchi road, tarring of the Wa-Tumu-Bolgatanga road, and rehabilitation of the Wa-Lawra-Nandom-Hamile road, which is Ghana’s gateway to the Burkina Faso.
Others were job creation for the youth and completion of major projects in the health and education sectors.
On health, the new Regional Minister would be expected to facilitate the completion of the Agenda 111 hospital projects in the region to enhance timely access to quality healthcare services.
On education, the people in the region would be looking up to Mr Puozuing to facilitate the completion of the E-blocks projects in the region to boost the educational infrastructure in the region.
Some Municipal and District Chief Executive (MDCE) aspirants in the region, in an interview with the GNA, acknowledged the ability of Mr Puozuing to lead the region’s development and their readiness to support him in that regard.
Mr Emmanuel Soglizu, an aspirant in the Nandom Municipality, described the Regional Minister nominee as a unifier and worthy of that office.
GNA