President Akufo-Addo
The Paramount Chief of the Sakote Traditional Area in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, Naba Sigiri Bewong, has made a passionate appeal to the President to take a second look at the frequent reshuffling of regional ministers.
The Paramount Chief who indicated the region was among the regions that have experienced several reshuffles of regional ministers under past governments said such trends retarded development.
Naba Bewong made the appeal when the Upper East Regional Minister, Ms Paulina Abayage paid a courtesy call on him at his palace at the Sakoti traditional area of the region on Saturday.
The Paramount Chief cited for instance that under the National Democratic Congress administration, the region which, he stressed was one of the youngest and deprived in the country experienced about four times reshuffling of regional ministers.
Naba Bewong who also mentioned the recent reshuffling of the Upper East Region Minister under the current ruling government, explained that even though they were not against the President’s prerogative powers to appoint, reshuffle and fire; petty squabbles and internal party grumblings within the party should not necessitate such changing of ministers.
“Most at times the reshuffle even takes place without any recourse to the chiefs in the region who are the custodians of the people and land,” he stressed,
The Paramount chief, however, expressed gratitude to the President for appointing Ms Paulina Abayage as the first female regional minister in the region and added that the Sakoti traditional council was also happy that the government had six contracts including the construction of one-village one-dam in the District.
He indicated that about 100 cattle died last year as a result of lack of water and expressed the hope that with the construction of the one-village one-dam in the area such trend would be a thing of the past.
The paramount chief pledged the traditional council’s support to the new regional minister and asked her not to hesitate to ask for any support she needed to help administer the region.
Another area where the new regional minister visited was the Nangodi Traditional Area where the Paramount chief, Naba Koosom, also commended the President for being gender conscious in his administration by appointing more women to work with his government.
The new regional minister said she was moved by the issues raised by the paramount chief and pledged to relay the message to the President and also gave the assurance that as a home-based woman, she knew the region well and its values and plight of the people.
The regional minister stated that one of the unique features of the region was its multicultural and ethnic diversities and the way and manner the people co-exited peacefully.
She explained that this was an added advantage to the region as this would enable the leadership of the region to explore a lot of potentials in the area such as the basketry and leather works, smock, tourist sites and guinea fowls among others to help fast track the development of the area
She reiterated the vision of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s laudable policies of Planting for Food and Jobs, One-village Dam, One-District One-Factory and Rearing for Jobs and said she would work hard with her team to ensure that the region get its fair share of the national cake.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, SAKOTI
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