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Northern chiefs call for Marshall plan
to develop the North
Gwollu, Dec. 31, Ghanadot/GNA - Chiefs from the Sissala
Traditional Area have called on the government to come out
with a Marshall plan to bridge the development gap between
the North and the South.
They said the development gap between the North and the
South was still widening which would result in an economic
and social catastrophe if pragmatic measures were not
undertaken to address the challenges.
The chiefs commended the government for establishing the
Northern Development Fund and called for more of such
initiatives and interventions to help alleviate the endemic
poverty and underdevelopment.
Kuoru Krui-Buktie Limann, Paramount Chief of the Gwollu
Traditional Area made the call on behalf of the chiefs and
the executives of the Sissala Union at its annual general
meeting to celebrate Ghana's Golden Jubilee at Gwollu on
Saturday.
Sissalas from all parts of the country and neighbouring
Burkina Faso, who attended the forum took stock of
development issues and came out with strategies to address
challenges next year.
Kuoru Limann, on behalf of the chiefs and executives of the
Sissala Union thanked God for miraculously saving President
John Agyekum Kufuor unhurt during his involvement in a motor
accident on November 14.
He commended the government for creating a new district for
the Lambussie, bringing to four the number of districts in
the Sissala area.
The chiefs suggested to government to consider naming the
districts as Sissala West, with its capital at Lambusssie,
Sissala Central, with its capital as Gwollu, Sissala East,
with the capital at Tumu and Sissala South, with Funsi as
its capital to give identity to the Sissalas.
Kuoru Limann expressed the gratitude of the people to
President John Agyekum Kufuor and the NPP government for the
urgent manner it took to provide relief services to people
who suffered losses in the floods that hit the Northern
regions.
Mr. George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, who
was the guest speaker, called on the people to let unity be
their guiding principle in the pursuance of progress and
development.
He advised people in the region to invest in the education
of their children, pointing out that it was a critical issue
that needed the concern of all to help move the development
agenda forward.
Mr. Benson said the creation of new districts showed
government commitment to bring governance to the doorsteps
of the people and also improve infrastructure in rural areas
to enhance economic and social activities.
He announced that, the Gwollu-Tumu, Tumu-Sisisli and Wa-Han
roads had been awarded on contract for tarring to facilitate
the movement of goods and people.
He said electricity would be extended to some communities,
while selected towns would also be provided with modern
markets of which Gwollu was a beneficiary.
Mr. Benson said this year's drought and floods had left in
their trails devastating consequences on the lives of the
people and that government and its development partners had
put in place short and medium term interventions to mitigate
the effects.
He warned people against bush burning, which, he said was
inimical to development, especially animal rearing, food
production and the environment.
Mr. Benson appealed to the chiefs to deliberate on the issue
and find a lasting solution to it, to save the area from
becoming a desert.
GNA
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