THE Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba has implored traditional rulers, opinion leaders and local administrators to work in harmony towards consolidating the relative peace being enjoyed in the region over the past few months.
According to him, any disruption of this peace would erode gains made in the various areas of development, notably health, education, security, commerce and roads infrastructure.
Mr Mabengba made this appeal when he addressed a meeting of the Northern Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Tamale, which was attended by heads of institutions, local government authorities, political heads, traditional rulers and personnel of the security services.
It was the maiden meeting of the RCC since it was reconstituted last year.
The minister observed that modest progress had been made in various sectors of development in the region and this called for more efforts towards sustaining these gains.
In the area of security, he observed that even though the chieftaincy disputes remain unresolved, they have largely been contained “thanks to the increased appreciation and understanding of the role of peace in development by all parties.”
He said the major hurdles continue to be the Yendi crisis, Bimbilla skin affair and, lately, Buipe crisis.
“While the Yendi issue is before the Otumfour Committee and national security, the Bimbilla issue is also pending at the Northern Regional House of Chiefs,” the minister noted.
He also mentioned that reports received from the various districts indicated an atmosphere of relative calm, “except for isolated incidents from a few of them.”
Mr Mabengba said the crime rate, which was a major source of worry, was gradually coming under control, but for some highway robberies on the Tamale-Salaga, Fufulso-Junction-Sawla, Buipe-Kintampo, Savelugu-Diare and Wa-Bamboi roads.
“A combined team of police cum military has been set up to patrol on such routes to nip the problem in the bud,” he assured.
For the roads sector, the minister indicated that modest infrastructural works had taken place on some of the region’s trunk and feeder roads, adding that as at the end of 2009, 31 per cent of roads were considered as good, 47 per cent considered fair and 22 rated poor.
“For 2010, we intend to continue with rolled over projects from 2009 and also award contracts for the construction of roads whose engineering studies have been conducted,” he added.
Mr Mabengba said similar progress was being made in the education and health sectors.
He mentioned that over GH¢26 million was to be used to provide dormitories, classrooms, staff accommodation, fence walls and dining facilities for over 20 senior high schools in the region.
“This figure would also cater for the refurbishment of the Tamale Youth Centre (Phase one) and the Data Capturing Centre for the Biometric Passports,” he further mentioned.
The minister cited the rehabilitation of the Tamale Teaching Hospital as a major development in the health sector, adding that more would be done to boost the quality and quantity of health personnel in the region.
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