Tamale, March 6, GNA - Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister, has appealed to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to cooperate with the security services to stop the smuggling of arms into the Northern Region and other conflict areas. He said there was suspicion that some drivers were assisting dealers in arms to transport weapons to conflict areas and warned that any driver caught would face the full rigours of the law.

Mr. Nayina said this when members of the GPRTU in the region called on him at his office on Thursday to congratulate him on his appointment. He appealed to the leadership of the GPRTU to educate drivers on the need to maintain their vehicless. "A lot of the accidents on our roads are due to human error and this can be prevented if drivers are a little more cautious", Mr. Nayina said.

Mr. Nayina appealed to drivers to reduce their fares anytime there was the need to do so, especially when the prices of petroleum products are reduced. "Don't allow the motive for profit to overshadow your social obligation". Alhaji Lamin Yamusah, Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, assured the minister that the union would step up its education on road safety for drivers and also to cooperate with the security services to prevent crime in the region.