The Chief and people of Tamale on Monday celebrated their annual "Damba" festival in pump and pageantry.
The occasion saw a colourful display of Dagbon culture as the chiefs rode on horses amidst drumming and dancing.
Dakpema Naa Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni (chief of Tamale) who addressed the crowd called on the government to implement agricultural policies that would attract the youth into farming and help reduce unemployment in the country.
He said the government should pursue policies that include the provision of agricultural machinery and loans to farmers.
He said the agricultural policies should also be linked to the establishment of marketing centres at the regional and district levels to ensure that farmers had ready market for their produce.
Dakpema Naa Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni appealed to the government to provide more educational facilities in the region and also motivate teachers to give off their best to ensure effective teaching and learning in schools.
He said he would soon launch a Dakpema Educational Fund to assist needy but brilliant students especially girls to get quality education.
Touching on the recent rainstorm that hit the Tamale Metropolis and ripped off the roofs of some buildings, he appealed to the government to come to the aid of the affected persons.
The chief urged landlords to cultivate the culture of maintenance and plant trees around their houses to serve as wind breaks to protect them from destruction by the storms.