Government keen to bridge rural and urban gap –Alhaji Amidu Sulemana

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, says government is keen on bridging the development gap between rural and urban setups in the country.

He said the government was providing sustainable facilities in rural areas to accomplish its “Better Ghana Agenda”, and all must show more commitment and diligence to improving the lives of the people.

Alhaji Sulemana was addressing the chiefs and people of the Gandawii clan at the third annual celebration of the Gandawii Naaba Hilima festival at Sorbelle, in the Sissala West District at the weekend.

He said the government for the past three years initiated a number of projects and programmes which were impacting positively on the lives of the rural people.

He said the district has great potential for investment especially in agriculture, small and medium scale industries and tourism which are yet to be fully exploited.

Alhaji Sulemana therefore called on the Sissala West District Assembly to adopt the necessary approaches, to ensure the development of those resources.

He urged the people to act together as a united people for the development of the community and for nation building.

Alhaji Sulemana said, under the Ghana School Feeding Programme, seven out of the nine communities in the area had had their schools enrolled on the programme, adding that, plans were far advanced to extend the programme to cover the remaining two schools.

Similarly, six classroom blocks and two unit teacher quarters had also been provided for the nine communities, while construction works on four feeder roads would soon start.

Alhaji Sulemana said, all the nine communities in the area would be connected to electricity under the Rural Electrification Programme.

Kuoru Niabra Naru, Chief of Boti, commended the people of the area for co-existing peacefully with other people.

He said even though there was a chieftaincy dispute in the area it did not disturb the peace and advised the people to help sustain the peace.

Madam Sulemana Alijata, Sissala East District Chief Executive, appealed to opinion leaders to maintain the cultural values of the ancestors by giving Sissala names to the children.

She said they should teach the children the good values of the culture and discard the aspects of the culture that dehumanized the people.**