Concentrate efforts at promoting peace.....Woyongo tell successor

Story and Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The immediate past Upper East Regional, Mr Mark Woyongo has admonished his successor to concentrate his efforts at promoting peace in the region and government policies in order to ensure the achievement of the objectives set by the President. Mr Woyongo who is the current MP for Navrongo Central and the new Minister for Defense made the call during an official ceremony in Bolgatanga to formally handover to the new Regional Minister, Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsoh who just before the ceremony was reassigned to the Upper West Region to handle the political administration of that region. "You must be lucky to be taking over the region which is enjoying great stability. "Mr Woyongo said. "I inherited an very turbulent region but by dint of hard work, we were able to stabilize in the region in terms of peace." He added. Mr Woyongo said Bawku which was in flames when he took over is now calm and the guns have now gone silent. He however urged his successor to work extra hard to ensure that permanent peace is restored in Bawku. "You have a duty to ensure total peace returns to Bawku and all other flash points in the region. A duty to ensure our Brothers and Sisters on the Bawku Inter Ethnic Peace Committee returns to the negotiations table. Mr Woyongo who said he feels honoured to have served the Upper East Region for four years entreated his successor to work with the various stakeholders, the Paramount Chief for Bawku, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, the leadership of the Mamprusis Ethnic Group, the security Agencies, leaders of the other minority ethnic group and possibly the Nayire and Paramount Chief of Mamprugu to consolidate the peace efforts put in place. Touching on other area of development, Mr Woyongo the region during his tenure of office saw significant development within the last four years but the people are still crying for more development and therefore the need for his successor to work extra hard to bring development to the region. He said efforts are underway to contruct a multi purpose hydro electric and irrigation dam at Pwalugu in the Talensi District and a similar one earmarked for the Sisili River, he therefore called on his successor to show interest and keep track of such projects which will bring relief to the people in particular and the country as a whole. He also encourage his successor to pursue the possibility of building a similar dam on the Tamne Dam in the Garu-Tempane district which wield a huge potential for agricultural activities. Mr Woyongo said the regions also boasts of a number of investment opportunities and urged his successor to put in extra effort to attract investors. "We have large tract of land, clay and rock deposits, minerals among others. it will be very useful if my successors can market them and attract the needed investors to create jobs for the youth" he said. On agriculture, he said during his tenure SADA supported farmers with tractors and other farm inputs and urged his successor to laise with the SADA Secretariat to further assistance. While wishing his successor well, Mr Woyongo called on him to be mindful of the harassment of foot soldiers. " It will be unavoidable but you have to learn to accommodate them. They say they have out us in office so they must be obeyed. While not giving your whole time to them, it will be useful to devout some time to the foot soldiers" He gave the assurance that he will be available to offered whatever form of assistance. "I hail from this region and I need nothing but the best for this region. I am condemned to assisting you to succeed. If the you succeed,the regions, Ghana and the NDC that have succeeded and I am prepared to help in whatever form" Mr Woyongo said. Mr Avea Nsoh in a response commended the former regional minister for laying a solid foundation and pledged to build on the successes chalk by Mr Woyongo in moving the development of the region to a higher pedestal albeit in within the short tenure before proceeding to the Upper West region to assume the political leadership of that region following the latest reshuffle by the president. End (Published on Thursday, March 14, 2013 Page 16)