BE COMMITED TO SCIENCE, RESEARCH (PAGE 11, OCT 7)

THE Dean of Students of the University for Development Studies (UDS), at Navrongo Dr Walter M. Kpikpi has urged the government to commit itself to support and research, stressing that science if properly supported science could turn round the fortunes of the nation.
Dr Kpikpi made these remarks at this year’s annual welcoming ceremony for newly admitted students from the Upper East Region into UDS at Navrongo. The ceremony was organised by the Upper East Students Union of the UDS.
Held under the theme, “Living in Harmony in the Upper East Region, the role of the youth”, the event was geared towards forging peace, unity and togetherness of the youth of the region in tertiary institutions to fight poverty, disease and squalor which is afflicting the people.
According to Dr Kpikpi, contrary to perceptions held that the region was poor, there existed a great potential which if well supported could yield positive results for the region.
He cited for example the possibility of cultivating large tracts of gum Arabic which has a great economic value and said if science based intuitions, such as UDS were supported and well resourced, it could lead in the production of the plant which attracts high prices abroad. He also cited the possibility of producing bio-fuel from seeds that grow wild in the region.
“We want the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to be more accommodative and receptive to us so that when we come to you with these problems, you would know that these are not personnel problems but developmental problems for the region and for the country as a whole.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo commended the organisers for the choice of theme emphasising that the youth could play an effective role in the harmonious living of the various people of the region.
He noted that a careful look at almost all the conflicts in the region revealed that the youth were the ones at the forefront and charged the students to translate their activities or effects into something practical and more useful to themselves and society.
These violent means of settling disagreements should be avoided at all costs. If you are able to support the government’s programmes with your youthful contributions, we shall soon see massive reductions in conflicts in the region, the regional minister stated.
Mr Woyongo referred to conditions in the three northern regions and charged them to work hard to improve on their situation, saying that if they did not work for development, they would not get it on a silver platter.
He asserted that there was continuous marginalisation of the three northern regions over the years and governments have paid lip service to their development.
According to Mr Woyongo, although there had been several policy interventions to bridge the gap between the north and south, the gap kept widening.
He cited for instance, the school feeding programme in which the Upper East Region considered to be poor had only 4 per cent of schools in the region benefitting from the programme whiles the Ashanti Region which was relatively better off had 29 per cent of schools benefitting from the programme.
“How do we bridge the gap when these disparities exist?” he asked adding that “we cannot bridge the gap by merely paying lip service to bridging that gap between the north and the south, we must be realistic”.
While calling for equitable distribution of the national cake, Mr Woyongo charged the people in the region to remain united in their fight for development. He also stressed the need for the people to take their education seriously since that was key to the development of the north.
“You have the responsibility to be good role models for your peers back at home to emulate. Let them see that conflicts are not the way to solving or addressing problems. It should be noted that conflicts and development do not go together. The development we desire and wish to attain cannot thrive under conflict and insecurity. You must therefore be ambassadors of peace and not agents of conflicts,” he told the students.
The Principal of the Saint John’s Bosco’s College of Education, Mr Alfred Ndago, who was the guest speaker, identified land disputes, poverty, illiteracy, re-ordering of the traditional system, as well as political interferences as some of the tendencies that appeared to be the source of disharmony and conflicts in the region.
He therefore advised the students not to allow themselves to be dragged into conflict but pursue their education with zeal to propel them into higher heights and advocate change to turn round the atmosphere of hopelessness.
The Upper East Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, Mr Peter H. Mensah urged the youth to form civic clubs to share civic knowledge as well as the right and responsibility of a good citizen.
The President of the Upper East Regional Students Union, Mr Edward Sumaila Issifu said apart from serving as a platform for students who hailed from the region to share ideas, the union also sought to imbue in its members positive cultural practices of the region.