President Mahama has assured the people of the Upper East Region of his resolve to see to the construction and rehabilitation of the road networks in the region.
According to him, his attention has been drawn to the deplorable nature of roads in the area and pledged that government was working on modalities to give the roads a facelift.
President Mahama was addressing members of the regional house of chiefs at a meeting in Bolgatanga as part of his “Transform Ghana and Changinglives” nationwide tour.
President Mahama was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama.
Also on the Presidents lost were high profile dignitaries including NDC party stalwarts led by the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah among other distinguished personalities including members if state and party functionaries both in the region and beyond.
The President of the Regional House of Chiefs who doubles as the paramount chief of the Sakote Traditional Area, Naba Sigri Bewong addressed the house by first welcoming the president and his entourage.
He first commended the president for the numerous developmental and ongoing projects taking place across the country and appealed for a fair share of such developments in the region.
Naba Bewong, acknowledged the presidents effort in wooing investors into the country as a measure to create employment opportunities for many unemployed, particularly the youth. He also described as commendable the numerous road projects being undertaken nationwide.
Key among the points raised was in connection with the current power crisis. Naba Bewong urged President Mahama not allow himself to be disrupted by negative comments from section of the public but rather remain focus in his quest to find a permanent solution to the problem.
Naba Bewong assured the president of his office determination to resolve the unpleasant chieftaincy issues brought to the house for redress.
According to him, such cases were at various stages of deliberation and with the establishment of a 3-member judicial council in place, they will receive the needed attention.
Sakoteb Naba complained of the poor road networks in the region and asked the president to consider giving them a facelift.
He was particular about the roads in the municipality as well as the Bolga Bawku roads which, he bemoaned were in a deplorable state.
He made a passionate appeal to the president to attend to the roads to enable the municipality befit its status.
He also appealed for means of transport for the house to facilitate their daily operations. Speaker after speaker, re-emphasized the need for the rehabilitation of the roads in the region.
In response President Mahama said the region was going to receive a fair share of development as government was working tirelessly to spread development to deprived and needy communities.
He said in the area of rural electrification and small water systems, much has been done. On the road networks, president Mahama said he was not going to renege on the promise he made to the Bawku Naba during his visit to the Samanpiid festival last year, stressing that serious consideration was being given to the Bolga- Bawku stretch of road.
President Mahama also outlined plans by his government to give some roads in the north a facelift.
On education, President Mahama disclosed that all new districts will be assisted with a community senior high school each and said government have in place plans to expand educational facilities for existing secondary schools, while putting up new schools for needy communities.
This, he noted, will create additional 240,000 spaces for fresh students in the second cycle schools.
He also assured the region of a new regional hospital aside the ongoing expansion work at the main referral hospital.
He moreover outlined various interventions meant to improve the health sector of the region and commended the Red Cross society for their invaluable role in achieving a success rate in the fight against maternal and infant mortality.
President Mahama and his team later made a brief trip to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, where he inspected on-going expansion work at the facility.
