We don't harbour any private agenda - Salia

Wa, Jan. 05, GNA - Mr. Edward Salia, Member of Parliament for Jirapa has reminded people in the Upper West Region not to regard the NDC parliamentarians as people harbouring a private agenda outside that of the ruling government.

He said the common objective of the NDC and that of the ruling government had always been about development for the benefit of the people. He said there was therefore the need for cooperation between the parliamentarians of the two political parties, their supporters and the government to help create an enabling atmosphere for smooth administration and development.

Mr. Salia gave the reminder at an end-of-year get-together dinner organised for Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives, Security Heads, chiefs and a cross-section of the public by the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council in Wa on Thursday. The forum, the first of its kind, is the brainchild of the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. George Hikah Benson to create the opportunity for politicians from the political divides to foster unity and cooperation among themselves and contribute collectively to the development of the region.

Mr. Salia said ordinary people were looking up to political party leaders for inspiration and politicians must know this and try to unite themselves for the people to take lessons from that at the community level. "We must work to unite our people at the community, district, regional and national levels to tolerate each other to promote peace", he said, adding; "Winning of elections should not be life or death affair".

Mr. Benjamin Kumbuor, Member of Parliament for Lawra/Nandom expressed concern that even though the people in the region were closely related, they had inflicted great pain on one another within a short time. He said despite the enormous potentials that abounds in the region, it has suddenly overtaken Upper East Region to be the poorest in the country, a situation that had not been envisaged.

He said the situation must be of concern to all and for things to work well, politicians first of all must work to maintain good personal relationship and stop insulting each other on platform since that behaviour was impacting negatively on the people.

Mr. Kumbuor noted that whatever form the 2008 polls would take would depended largely on politicians. "We taught the people how to insult and turned to blame them when they insult".

A former Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, called on politicians from the region to think more about the development of the area rather than their political ambitions. He advised young politicians to try to tap the experiences and expertise of former ministers to develop the region and not to "throw them away because of political differences."

Kuoru Krui-Buktie Limann, Paramount Chief of the Gwollu Traditional Area advised citizens from the region to accept to stay and work in the area.

He said those of them who were also working outside the region should try and make their experiences and expertise available for the rapid development of their communities. Mr. Moses Dani Baah, Member of Parliament for Sissala East, observed that multiparty system of government had brought in its wake, divisions among the people than before.

He said political divisions at the community, district, regional and national level was high and needed to be addressed immediately to keep the people and the country together in unity. The Member of Parliament for Nadowli East, Mr. Mathias Puozaa, called on people in the region to exhibit political maturity by being tolerant to each other's views. He called on the leadership of political parties to always tell their supporters the truth, while they also portray friendship among the people to enhance peace.