Mr Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandou, the 38-year-old Zabzugu District Chief Executive (DCE), has announced plans to organise stakeholders meeting to roll out a development blue print for the area noted for poverty amidst abundant resources.

Speaking to Ghana News Agency in Accra, at the weekend, he said the development road map is expected to give impetus to the Better Ghana Agenda of the ruling National Democratic Congress.

Mr Laa-Bandou said without courting the co-operation of the chiefs, community opinion leaders, people from the political divide and other players, combating the high illiteracy rate, teenage pregnancy, youth migration to the south in search of greener pastures would remain a “lip service”.

He said the district, which holds huge potential for agriculture production is also bedevilled with early marriage of girls and low girl- child education.

The DCE said some of his development priorities are to get the deplorable roads in the district fixed to boost agricultural production and to facilitate the transportation of goods and services especially from the farm gates.

“I also intend to pursue educational drive seriously in the district to bridge the illiteracy gap to catch up with other assemblies and to stem the rural-urban migration,” he said.

Mr Laa-Bandou graduated from the University for Development Studies, with Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Development and a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Administration.

He is currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and MPhil in Development Studies.

From 2004-2005, Mr Laa-Bandou was Volunteer Planning Officer at Osu Klottey Sub-Metro in the Greater Accra Region and an English Tutor at Zabzugu Senior High School from 2005-2006.

He was the District Director of the National Service Scheme from 2006 and was transferred to Bunkpurugu in 2010 to head the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo Directorate, until his appointment as DCE.