REVIVE OPERATIONS OF PAGA AIRSTRIP — WOYONGO (PAGE 22, JULY 1, 2010)

THE Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo has appealed to the Military High Command to reactivate operations of the Paga Airstrip for emergency landings and medical evacuation.
He said as a result of the inactivity of the facility, lives of people who needed to be flown out urgently to Accra during medical emergencies had been lost due to the long distance they had to travel to Tamale to catch a flight.
Mr Woyongo made the appeal when the Chief of Staff, General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces, Commodore Jeffery Mawuli Biekro, paid a courtesy call on him in Bolgatanga.
Commodore Biekro, who was accompanied by Col Abu Alhassan, Director of Army Operations, Col Joe Manu, Staff Officer in charge of Logistics, General Headquarters, Lt Col Moses Aryee, Staff Officer, Operations, General Headquarters and Lt Col Isaac Awuah-Mantey, Commanding Officer, Air Borne Force, was en-route to Bawku to interact with troops and assess peacekeeping operations in the area.
Mr Woyongo commended personnel of the Ghana Army on duty at Bawku for their selfless and dedicated services which had led to the gradual restoration of peace in the area.
He outlined measures taken by the government including the revitalisation of the Bawku Inter-Ethic Peace Committee which is currently embarking on a peace outreach programme in communities in the municipality to restore peace in the area.
Mr Woyongo expressed satisfaction with the performance of the military personnel so far and encouraged them to continue to remain neutral in the discharge of their duties.
Commodore Biekro in response to the request, said steps are being taken by the military high command to activate some airstrips across the country to facilitate easy deployment of troops in times of emergencies.
Touching on his mission to Bawku, he said it was the desire of every Ghanaian that peace was restored permanently in the area since whatever incidence that took place there affected every Ghanaian.
He said the resources that the government was pumping into the conflict could be better channelled into other development projects to improve the living conditions of the people.