He said Ghana was a beacon of peace, good governance and democracy in sub Saharan Africa and therefore expressed the need for the citizenry to help promote and sustain the current peace the country was enjoying.

Dr Bawumia made the call in Tamale on Saturday during a dinner (Iftaar/breaking of fast) with Muslims at the premises of the Northern Regional Co-ordinating Council. The Vice President joined a large number of Muslims for prayers and broke the fast together and asked the Muslim clerics and other religious leaders to continue to pray for the country for God’s continued protection.

The Vice President earlier interacted with some Muslims in the Tamale Metropolis and visited some chiefs where he asked for support for the government to deliver its mandate.  He gave the assurance that development would not elude any part of the country. Dr Bawumia said the government had decided to make the Arabic Language examinable, to help in its development in Ghana.

He announced that more Arabic Instructors would be employed into the formal educational sector to facilitate the teaching and learning of the Language. Mr Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional Minister said the Region was poised for development and appealed to the chiefs and other influential people in the area to use their influence to help seek lasting peace in conflict areas.

Mr Saeed told the Ghana News Agency at the sidelines of the dinner, said there was no substitute for patience and expressed the need for all to unite as one people with a common destiny to ensure lasting peace for the Region to develop to attract more investors.

He said, the Region could supply the whole country with food if all conflicts were resolved and the people given the needed support to go into farming.  “I can say without contradiction that the north can feed the whole country if we channel our energies into food production.

“It is my prayer that the Planting for food and jobs programme under this current government would help improve lives in the country especially the three Northern Regions in terms of addressing poverty and malnutrition,” he said.