President John Mahama has urged residents of Dagbon in the Northern Region to direct their strength and attention towards fighting poverty instead of themselves.

President Mahama who is in the region on his ‘Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda” campaign tour, was met on arrival by thousands of expectant residents of the area.

President Mahama made the remarks when he addressed a rally at Yendi on his Northern Region campaign tour after paying a courtesy on the regent of Dagbon, Yaa-naa ALhassan yakubu Andani yesterday .

He said poverty has become a major bane of the people in the area and can only be eradicated or reduced if the people stop fighting each other and unite for progress.

He said "all of us here in the north are one in the same people... Our enemy in the north here is poverty. It is poverty that we should be fighting not one another."

The president also advised the various ethnic groups in the area to put the past behind them and forge ahead in unity in order to attract some development to the area.

He said he will continue to work with all the relevant stakeholders in the peace building process in order to sustain the relative peace in the area.