Tamale, Sept. 17, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister has called on chiefs to be development-oriented and support government's development efforts to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people. He said: "I would encourage chiefs to serve as catalyst to identify their development needs and source funding to execute such projects to supplement government programmes to propel development in the Northern Region in particular and the nation at large".

Alhaji Idris was addressing the General Assembly meeting of the Northern Region House of Chiefs in Tamale on Tuesday The Regional Minister noted the great economic potential of the region but emphasised that no serious investor would "sink" his investment into an area that was potentially volatile. "We must therefore work together to create a peaceful environment to make the region attractive to investors", he told the chiefs.

Alhaji Idris commended the chiefs for the co-operation and sound counseling they had offered the political leadership at the various levels of the administrative set up, noting that, chieftaincy as an institution, was revered throughout the country as chiefs were the custodians of the nation's customs, norms and practices. He, however, bemoaned the prevalence of chieftaincy and land disputes in the country, which he said had assumed serious dimensions, and reminded the chiefs of the important role they had to play in resolving these disputes.

"Our chiefs should be wary of the activities of quack surveyors, who are contributing to the spate of disputes in land administration. "The haphazard development of structures in our cities, municipalities, towns and villages is a matter of great concern. Posterity will not forgive us if we do nothing to stem the tide of the canker". Alhaji Idris said.

The Regional Minister expressed the belief that a peaceful general election was topmost on the agenda of the chiefs, given the recent violence witnessed in Tamale and Gushiegu. "I understand you have met with stakeholders, including political party representatives, religious bodies and NGOs to seek pledges to build a peaceful and congenial atmosphere for free and fair elections. "I would plead with all residents of Northern Region to respond positively to the clarion call for violence-free elections", he said. Alhaji Idris appealed to members of the House and the people as a whole, to use dialogue as the preferred means of conflict resolution instead of resorting to violence.

In his address, the Nayiri, Na Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, President of the House and the overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area, said the North needed peace and called on stakeholders in the region to work in concert to ensure peace before, during and after the 2008 elections. He said: "I have great hope that we traditional rulers shall spare no efforts to help government and the security agencies in the maintenance of peace and order in the region. It is a truism that no meaningful development can take place in an area devoid of peace and stability".

Na Sheriga appealed to the government through the youth employment programme, to pool the youth in the region and support them to go into mechanized agriculture, noting that the area is endowed with large tract of land. He also appealed to the government to focus on training the youth in animal rearing to diversify the production base and avert the drift of the youth to the south.

The Nayiri, expressed the appreciation of the chiefs and people of Northern Region to the government for the package instituted to mitigate poverty and cost of living through health care, tax relief's, particularly on fertilizer, the livelihood empowerment programme and the infrastructural development across the country. He, on behalf of the chiefs of the three Northern Regions commended the government for instituting the Northern Development Fund and said he was looking forward to the enactment of the Act by Parliament to bring the Fund into fruition.

Briefing the media on the current situation at Gushiegu after the meeting, the Regional Minister said security in the township had improved, adding that, there had not been any breach of the curfew, whose hours had now been reviewed from the previous 1900 hours to 0500 hours to the current 2100 hours to 0400 hours. He said the investigation team probing the circumstances leading to the recent violence at Gushiegu by supporters of the NPP and NDC, which resulted in the loss of lives and property had started work and appealed for voluntary information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.