WOYONGO TARGETS PEACE IN BAWKU (D/G, Monday, March 2, 2009 PAGE 16)

THE new Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, has described conflicts in Bawku as a blot to the development of the region and pledged to bring a closure to the recurrent conflicts in the region.
Promising to work with both factions in the conflict, the regional house of chiefs, and other stakeholders to end the crisis, he emphasised that without peace, there could not be any meaningful development.
“Once peace is attained, there will be speedy development and the economic life of the area, which has stalled will bounce back to life,” he said.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Residency to officially welcome him to the region, Mr Woyongo promised to work with everybody no matter their political party affiliation, religious background or tribe to turn the fortunes of the region round.
He therefore admonished the people of the region to lend their support and encouragement to his administration.
“We are condemned to working together. My enemy is not the man or woman on the other side of the political divide. My enemy is the poverty that is staring us in the face. That poverty does not discriminate and that is why we have to put our shoulders to the wheel to make sure that we drive poverty out of this region,” he said.
Mr Woyongo arrived in Bolgatanga on Saturday to a rousing welcome. A procession of regional executive and supporters of the National Democratic Congress, the chief director and staff of the Regional Coordinating Council, district coordinating directors, heads of security agencies, heads of departments and scores of people were at Pwalugu, about 20 kilometres outside Bolgatanga to meet the minister who arrived from Tamale by road.
The procession drove into Bolgatanga amidst the tooting of car horns and ended at the Residency where Mr Woyongo addressed the crowd. He expressed gratitude to the people of the Upper East Region for the warm reception accorded him.
”Ever since my name was mentioned, I have enjoyed tremendous support from the people and I am very grateful,” he said.
He promised to work with all who are prepared to join him in his efforts to bridge the development gap between the north and south and committed to helping to improve the living condition of the people.
He was unhappy that in spite of all the numerous economic potential that exists, the region still lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of development and promised to work hard to attract investors into the region.
“We are poor in the midst of plenty. We have too many resources which are yet to be tapped and I am sure if we get the correct investors, we will be on the road to driving out poverty”.
“We are about to begin a new chapter in our development agenda and I appeal to you all to put your hands on deck. We should put politics on the back burner and put the development of the region on the front burner. That is the only way forward,” he said.
Mr Woyongo said he had earlier met with all MPs from the region prior to his departure from Accra to solicit their support and promised to constitute a committee to plan the 50th anniversary celebration of the creation of the Region, which falls next year, to showcase the region’s potential to the international committee.
Mr Woyongo, accompanied by Mr Donald Adabire, a former Regional Minister, and the Deputy Regional Minister designate, Mrs Lucy Awuni had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Bolgatanga, Naba Martin Abilba and the Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Lucas Abadamloora.