Some chiefs in the Upper East Region have commended the government for rolling out initiatives that were helping to address challenges in their respective traditional areas.

They also lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for bringing hope to the people by fulfilling a number of his campaign promises.

The chiefs mentioned Planting for Food and Jobs, as well as a fertiliser subsidy component, One-district, One warehouse, free senior high school (SHS), and improvement in the School Feeding Programme as some of the government’s policies that were changing the lives of people in those areas.

According to them, the strides were a pointer to the fact that the President cared for ordinary people in the country.

They are the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II,the Divisional Chief of Binaba, Naba Akolburi Moses Abaare Appiah IV, and the Chief of Pusiga, Naba Ibrahim Ayomah Aguuri.

They made the commendation at separate events during the President’s two-day tour of the region last Tuesday.

Observations

The Bawku Naba intimated that farmers in the area, who received support under the Planting for Food and Jobs, were expecting a bumper harvest this year.

He also claimed that the free SHS had enabled more children to benefit from second cycle education.

“So far, you have done very well; you are giving us hope," Naba Azoka told the President when he called on him at his palace at Bawku.

The Chief of Pusiga, Naba Aguuri, also expressed gratitude to the President for fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of the area.

Interacting with President Akufo-Addo at his palace, Naba Aguuri mentioned the construction of a number of mechanised boreholes, bridges and the provision of a warehouse as some of the projects that needed recognition.

For his part, Naba Appiah, also expressed appreciation to the government “for its timely and excellent flagship programmes that have brought much relief to us your sons and daughters back home."

The chief, who was speaking at a durbar in honour of the President at Bawku, added that 41 boreholes had also been constructed in the Zebilla constituency.

Appeal

The chiefs, however, appealed to the President to ensure the completion of uncompleted projects and the construction of new ones to accelerate development in their respective areas.

They mentioned a community SHS project started two years ago at Pusiga and a hospital project for the Pusiga District.

Other demands were the rehabilitation of the Zangoire-Kusanaba-Binaba-Tilli road which was awarded some years ago, but had been abandoned and the need for the government to look into a possible boundary dispute between Ghana and Togo due to the lack of a clear border demarcation between the two countries.

President’s response

President Akufo-Addo thanked the chiefs and people for recognising the good works of the government.

He said the Bawku area was part of beneficiaries of the One-village, One-dam project and said plans were underway to establish a district hospital at Pusiga.

On the border issue, the President said the Upper East Regional Security Committee had been engaging the National Security to resolve the issue.

The President later inspected work on the Kulungugu Bridge.