Bawku (UE), Dec. 31, GNA - Upper East Region has been

earmarked to benefit from a $75 million credit facility from the

International Development Association to improve on urban and

rural water supply and sanitation projects in the country in 2011. Mr Alexander Asum- Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and

Culture, who made this known in Bawku on Thursday, said in

addition, government would provide about 20,000 boreholes

throughout the country to cater for the water needs of the people. He said government was determined to improve the country's

road network to facilitate the movement of goods and services,

while works on the Eastern Corridor Road to ease travelling from

northern Ghana to the south would be awarded on contract. Mr Asum- Ahensah made this known at the 23rd annual

Samanpiid festival being celebrated by the chiefs and people of the

Bawku Traditional Area. It was meant to unite citizens from the area and thank God for

guiding them through the farming season and granting them good

health. The occasion was also used for reconciliation and stock taking

for the development of the area. He said no development could be initiated in the midst of

indiscipline, disorder and chaos, saying the theme: 93Tolerance and

Mutual Understanding for Peace and Development," for the

occasion was timely especially as the area and the country as a

whole needed peace to bring about development. "It is therefore refreshing to note that one of the core features of

the festival is to foster peace and unity among yourselves and to

create a congenial environment that will promote and accelerate the

pace of development," he added. He said it was in appreciation and recognition of peace, as a

functional tool for development that government supported the

Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee to ensure the prevalence of

lasting peace in the area. Zug-Raan Naba Asigri Aburago Azoka II, Paramount Chief of

the Bawku Traditional said the chiefs and people had reached a

threshold of peace and preparations were far advanced for a joint

pacification ceremony in Bawku to symbolise the official end of the

conflict which the area had suffered over the years. He thanked the government, development partners, the security

agencies, National Peace Council, West African Peace Building

initiative, Northern Development Forum and the Upper East Caucus

of Members of Parliament, Inter 96Ethnic Peace Committee for

contributing in diverse ways to bring peace to the area. He called on the people to be vigilant and report people who

indulge in criminal activities to the security agencies to take the

appropriate actions against them. The Paramount Chief said the traditional governance structure of

enskinning women to take part in traditional administration was long

overdue. Zug-Raan Azoka called on his 23 divisional chiefs within the

three administrative areas of Bawku Municipality, Bawku West and

Garu Tempane districts to take action to start the process. Whilst thanking government for providing jobs for the teeming

youth under the National Youth Employment Programme, he

appealed for the construction of additional hospital in the

Municipality to ease the congestion at the Presbyterian Hospital.