Alhaji Issahaku Salia, the Upper West Regional Minister, said the celebration of festivals should not be limited to merry-making but should also be used as a means to unveil development plans.
He said programmes such as launching of endowment funds and honouring of distinguished sons and daughters who have contributed to the development of their areas should occupy centre stage at festivals.
Alhaji Salia said the celebration of festivals in the northern parts of the country had not responded sufficiently to these developmental trends.
He said this during the celebration of the "Kukur Baghr" Festival of the chiefs and people of the Fielmua Traditional Area on Wednesday at Fielmua in the Sissala West District.
The festival, which is celebrated to promote peace and unity among the people and to preserve the rich cultural heritage for the benefit of the youth, was on the theme: "The youth, a dynamic force for cultural upliftment".
Alhaji Salia expressed concern about foreign culture in the country which according to him placed the country's rich cultural values and practices at risk.
He appealed to the elders to ensure that they passed on the good aspect of their culture to the next generation.
The Regional Minister said the government was committed to addressing challenges such as poor road network, lack of electricity, portable water, irrigation facilities as well as low education and health infrastructure faced by the people.
He mentioned the provision of classrooms, expansion of the School Feeding Programme, provision of free school uniforms and exercise books and fertilizer subsidy as some of the government development interventions to the people of the area.
Mr. Baka Wavei, the District Chief Executive, thanked the Chiefs and people of the area and the Fielmua Area Development Association (FADA) for creating and sustaining the festival.
He said Chetu, Fielmua and Buo have been provided with six unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities at the cost of GH¢ 1.4 billion each while Liero also befitted from a shea butter extraction facility and a two unit teacher's quarters at the cost of GH¢ 25,155.67 and GH¢ 27,907.07 respectively.
The DCE said Nimoro and Kankanduali had a three-unit classroom block each at the cost of GH¢ 49,205.98 and GH¢ 61,666.13 respectively.
He said the District Assembly was working towards providing Fielmua with a District Hospital and an ICT center.
Naa Mwin-ire-me Dankuu II, the chief of Fielmua, thanked the government for the many educational infrastructures it had provided the area and assured government of their support in its quest to build a better Ghana.