Address infrastructural challenges of new regions — Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the government to address the developmental needs of the newly created North East Region.
Speaking at a gathering of party executives and supporters at Nalerigu, Mr Mahama said what made a region was infrastructural projects and not just boundaries demarcating the regions.
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"You cannot just create regions in name. The regions must be worthy of being called regions. And it is the infrastructure that makes a region a region," he stated.
Thank you
Mr Mahama was in the region on the second day of his tour of the five northern regions to thank Ghanaians for their vote and support in the 2020 elections.
"If you go to Tamale, you will know that this is the Northern Region, if you go to Bolgatanga, you know that this is the Upper East Region. If you come to Nalerigu it is a shadow of a region", adding "we don't only need the regional boundaries to be re-drawn; we need regional infrastructure so that when you come you will say, yes, this is the North East Region."
Observing that the NDC was a party that thought about the people, the former President expressed regret over NDC-initiated projects in the region that had been abandoned by the government.
"I went and greeted the Nayiri and before that, the Gambagarana and Gambaga Imam, and the common refrain was when was this government going to continue the projects that were left-off by the NDC administration," he said.
Among projects that have been abandoned are a new site for the Gambaga College of Education, Community Day Senior High Schools and the Nalerigu-Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri road.
Crime
President Mahama also decried the increasing spate of armed robberies in the region.
He identified low morale and the lack of logistics for the police to fight crime as part of the reason for the insecure situation, and called on the government to urgently address the situation.
"The government should avert its mind to the security situation in the northern part of the country. There can be no progress and prosperity without security," he stated.