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Diasporia News of Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Source: RH

The Chief of Nyankpala Traditional council meets with Mayor of Chicago

The Chief of Nyankpala Traditional Council,Naa Abdullai Yakubu is on a one week visit to Chicago to seek the assistance of businesses in the development of the Nyankpala Traditional area of Northern Ghana and also meet with Nyankpala Citizens living in the Chicago and the Midwest. The Chief and his Royal retinue arrived in Chicago on Thursday May 21 2015. They have since met with the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel, the President of the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan Chicago, Mr. Ebenezer Antwi-Nsiah , the Chief and Queenmother of the Northern Union, Alhajie Issa Samori and Hajia Habiba Pagnaa Fuseini respectively ; Citizens of the Nyankpala Traditional area and a host of business men and women.


Some of the areas the chief would like to see immediate initiation of development are Agriculture, education and healthcare. He noted that when these development steps are taken, it would help in solving the large unemployment rate and illiteracy in the area. Naa Abdullai Yakubu stated that during the First Republic of Ghana, a dam was built in the area but since the overthrow of the Nkrumah regime, the dam has not been used. He informed his audience that the area is known for producing banana, pineapples, onions, tomatoes and other cash crops but the heavy dependence on seasonal rainfalls make it impossible to produce these crops year round. Also, prolonged dry seasons completely halts the production of these crops. These problems, he recalls, leads to suffering in the area.

Lack of hostels for students of the School of Development studies branch in the area is another concern the chief raised. Privately owned hostels he stated, would not only generate income for the owners but also give students the much needed atmosphere to study. " I have a mission to start Education Fund to assist the children in the area", Naa Abdullai Yakubu stated with a lot of passion. He recounted many instances when students could not afford to pay their examination fees or buy essential school supplies and have to fall on him and other individuals' in the area for assistance.

He informed the business men and women present that the three Regions in the North, Northern, Upper West and Upper East,do not have Pharmaceutical depot. The provision of such a facility, he noted, would help alleviate the cost and availability of medications and other medical supplies in the area.

Naa Abdullai Yakubu used the occasion to thank Alhajie Issa Samori and the Northern Union of Chicago for the donation of Ambulance and medical equipment to the Tamale Government Hospital some years back.