Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister has called on traditional rulers and other opinion leaders in the communities to support his administration to initiate programmes to reduce poverty.

He said the Upper West Region was the youngest and also the poorest in the country and therefore needed to marshal both human and material resources as well as contributions from all able-minded persons to overcome its development challenges.

Alhaji Sulemana however explained that for the region to achieve its development goals, the people must learn to tolerate each other and co-exist peacefully so as to sustain the prevailing peace, especially during this electioneering year.

Alhaji Sulemana made the appeal at Wichiau on Tuesday during a courtesy call on the Wechau –Naa, Imoro Nandung Gomah II, Paramount Chief of the Wechau Traditional Area as part of his familiarization tour of paramouncies in the region to introduce himself to the chiefs and also solicit their support.

The tour took him to Wichiau and Dorimon Traditional Areas in the Wa West District and Kaleo and Daffiama Traditional Areas in the Nadowli and Nadowli East Districts.

Alhaji Sulemana said government was aware of the development challenges in the region and was working hard to provide more development projects to the area to enable it to catch up with the older regions and improve on the living conditions of the people.

Alhaji Sulemana promised to run an open administration and urged all with specialized skills to avail themselves to help fast track the development of the region.

He urged traditional rulers, opinion leaders and religious leaders to help counsel the youth to be disciplined and avoid politicians who would want to misuse them to settle their personal scores and other selfish interests during this year's elections.

The Regional Minister also called on stakeholders in the region to help educate the people to patronize the biometric voters’ registration exercise scheduled to begin on March 24 to enable them to exercise their franchise in the December 2012 polls.

The Wichiau Naa, on behalf of the traditional council pledged unflinching support for the newly appointed Regional Minister and gave the assurance that the council would work assiduously to maintain peace in the communities for development.

He reminded President John Atta Mills about the tarring of the Wa- Dorimon road which the former promised the people during his maiden visit to the Upper West Region.

Naa Gomah said people in the district had started to enjoy the fruits of the” Better Ghana Agenda” but still urged government to do more for the area because the development challenges and the needs of the people were numerous.

At Dorimon, the Dorimon Naa, Sohimwineye Dana Gore II, Paramount Chief of the Dorimon Traditional Area appealed to government to consider creating a district or a constituency for his area to help bring governance and development to the people.

He appealed for the provision of more boreholes and the expansion of the only dam in the area for irrigation purposes during the dry season.

The Dorimon Naa who is also the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs informed Alhaji Sulemana that a Standing Committee had been formed to deal with a protracted land dispute between Buwa Traditional Council and Fielimon community in the Sissala West District.

He however said because of financial constraints the house had not been able to address the matter as urgently as required.

The Daffiama Naa, Dikomwine Domalae urged Alhaji Sulemana to reconcile the people in the Nadowli East District to enhance the prevailing peace in the communities.

He pointed out that the creation of the Nadowli East District had brought some mistrust among the people. Similar concerns were also raised at Kaleo reminding government about the creation of a district at Kaleo.**