Nalerigu (NER) Oct. 29, GNA – The Nayiri, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga has appealed to government to retool the Ghana Police Service in the North East Region with vehicles to fight crime.
He said crime rate in the Region was on the ascendancy and the Police Service was not well resourced to face the high spate, especially reported cases of armed rustling in the Region.
In a speech read on his behalf at this year’s Damma festival of the Chiefs and people of the Mamprugu Kingdom, the Nayiri said “The activities of armed robbers in the Region is a worrying phenomenon and the Police need to be retooled to bring the situation under control.”
The festival attracted high profile government officials including; President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Hajia Alima Mahama, the Member of Parliament for the area and Minister for Local Government and Rural Development among others.
The festival was on the theme: “Enhancing our cultural heritage for peace and development.”
Damma is usually celebrated in Ghana by five ethnic groups with similar cultural practices namely; the Mamprugu, Dagombas, Nanumbas, Walas, and the Gonjas.
The annual festival is for both Traditional rulers and the Islamic religion, and is believed to mark the birth and naming ceremony of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, and to foster peace and unity, preserve culture, unite families and strengthen the bond between the Nayiri and his subjects and also for merry making.
Naa Sheriga, who is the Overlord of the Mamprugu Kingdom acknowledged government’s support for the North East Region, saying “One single most significant government investment in the North is the ongoing construction works of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam.”
He said the completion of the dam would significantly help address the perennial flooding during the rainy season, and recalled that “The Vice President had the unpleasant duty to tour many communities in the North to ascertain the level of damage caused to life and property by ravaging floods.”
According to the Chief, he was informed about documentation processes for work to begin on a 200-bed capacity hospitals at Yagaba, Bunkpurugu, Yunyoo and Chereponi, and prayed for good health, long life and fortitude for President Akufo-Addo to continue his “good works.”
Naa Sheriga said in spite of the ongoing development projects in the Region, “I will always ask for more. I shall come to you with my proposal for a University for the North East Region. I shall invite my sons and daughters in academia and the political elite to put together a proposal in this regard.”
President Akufo-Addo in his response to the Overlord’s requests, said “I want to assure you that I have heard your request for strengthening the North East Regional Police Command, and it would be acted upon.
“In due course, we shall also consider very seriously the proposal for a University. The future of Mamprugu is bright, and I have seen the last part of that future today in Nalerigu,” President Akufo-Addo said.
The President used the opportunity to introduce to the Nayiri the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Parliamentary candidates for the six Constituencies in the Region, and appealed for votes for them and the NPP to retain power in the December 7 general elections.
GNA