This, according to him, will help bridge the yawning developmental gaps among districts in the region and render responsive social services to citizens.

Mr. Bukari said priority should be given to infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, water and sanitation, as well as enterprise development.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WrNaTv6pPCPUP7oR36gVUte48rdAWsDr”]He noted that assemblies could initiate and execute game-changing projects that meet the needs of citizen without depending greatly on central government through strategic revenue mobilization at the local level.

Mr. Bukari urged Municipal and District Assemblies to initiate innovative strategies to generate local revenue by reviving their revenue departments to generate data on sub-district structures for revenue mobilization.

“We need to get data on buildings, banks, filling stations, billboards, and anybody doing business in the districts must pay rates to the assembly to propel its development,” he said.

As assemblies, we have so many responsibilities to perform and if we don’t do them, the public will blame us and we can only do that by improving revenue mobilization. So I urge all chief executives and coordinating directors to equip their revenue mobilization departments to realize this target.”

Mr. Bukari added that the Regional Coordinating Council will soon organize a forum to share experiences and best strategies that, when adopted, could increase the revenue of assemblies.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, senior citizen have knowledge and experience in various fields and when taped will push forward the transformational developmental agenda of government.

Mr. Rockson Bukari made these remarks in Bolgatanga at this year’s 57th anniversary of Senior Citizen’s Day celebration which was also Ghana’s Republic Day.

The event featured revered personalities including politicians who contributed significantly towards to the struggle for Ghana’s freedom from colonization and her progressive development.

“It must be noted that senior citizens are made up of various professionals and experts in their fields of specialty. Thus, Ghana abounds in retiree senior citizens who are Medical officers, Lawyers, Engineers, Educationist, Agricultural officers, and stewards amongst others with wisdom, if well taped can help push forward our developmental agenda.”

“I wish to seize this opportunity to call on senior citizens of the Upper East Region and Ghana as a whole to bring their knowledge and experience to aid government to execute its flagship policies and programmes such as One Village One Dam, One District One Factory, and the One Constituency One Million Dollars to give Ghana a facelift,” Mr. Rockson noted.

For their part, the senior citizens deliberated on how best they can support government succeed in its pro-poor policies particularly in the Upper East Region.

Some senior citizens were also awarded for the immerse contribution to the development of the region.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He attributed the bane of the region’s underdevelopment to political colorization and impressed on assembly members to confirm their Chief Executives to enable them to work effectively with the Members of parliament and government to bring the needed development to the region.

Mr. Rockson disclosed this at the palace of the Bongo paramount chief, Bonaba Baba Salifu during a familiarization tour of the paramountcy in the region.

“There should be no colorization in the Upper East Region; we are here to serve the people and not colorization. I have met my Members of Parliament and I have told them, they are MPs for Upper East Region and not NPP or NDC so they must look for projects for the region and they (MPs) have no problem with that.”

“If I (Rockson Bukari) or the region fail, all of us including myself and the MPs have failed the people of the region and they will curse us which we don’t want witness, we have to leave a legacy. So I am pleading with all assembly members in the region to confirm all President Nana Addo’s nominees for Municipal and District Chief Executives and we will start working and serve this region properly so that after four years we can engage in partisan politics but for now, give us the support and suggestions to move this country and Upper East Region.”

Bush fire-tree Traditional Council to receive tractor

Mr. Rockson Bukari said his outfit has initiated an award of a tractor and other support services to traditional councils in the region that is committed to eliminating bush fires throughout the year.

He said that, bush fires were the major problem in the region and there was the need to fight it in order to maintain the vegetation and avoid the effects of desertification of the region.

“We don’t want the desert to get to this region, our animals are suffering during dry season but if we are not to burn bush fires our animals will be save and our farms will be save, we should have natural manure and our farms will get us more food. So the Regional coordinating council is instituting a scheme to award the best traditional council free of bush fires. If in your traditional council there are no bush fires throughout the year we shall award you with a tractor and other support services to support farmers in the area.”

Paramount Chief of Bongo Bonaba, Baba Alemyarum Salifu pledged his commitment to support the minister and government succeed in its transformational agenda.

He also commended government for increasing their monthly allowance from GHC500.00 to GHC1,000.00

Bonaba Alemyarum, lauded government’s ‘One-Village One-Dam’ and ‘One-District One-factory’ policies aimed at alleviating poverty in his traditional area and advocated for a Shea board for the North.

He again bemoaned the rising incidents of teenage pregnancy in the area and called for the passage of some bylaws to address the problem and remove factors that promote it.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, unemployment is the cause of migration of the youth who end up with menial jobs in the south.

Speaking at the 14th Bimoba Danjuar festival celebration in Kpikpira in Tempane of the Upper East Region, Mr. Bukari said, government will create an enabling environment to help the youth develop the skills to create employable opportunities for themselves.

“In recent times, migration of our youth to the South has become a source of worry as some of them end up losing their lives to diseases and crimes. The spate of teenage pregnancy and early marriages are also rearing their ugly heads in society.”

“But under the leadership of President Nana Akufo Addo, the agricultural sector is being supported with $125m to implement the planting for food and jobs campaign. Other programmes such as the ‘One District One Factory’, ‘One village One Dam’ will also create jobs for the teeming youth thus drastically reducing youth migration to the south. There should therefore be no reasons for young people to adopt to negative habits which consequences have dire impact on society.”

Mr. Bukari, reiterated that, the implementation of the free secondary education next academic year will relieve parents of the huge school fees and guarantee  students who would have dropped out of school due to their inability to pay school fees, access secondary education.

Secretary of the Bimoba Union Danjuar, Mr. Laar Sundiatu Sungadaan appealed to chiefs of Bunkpungu and Nakpanduri to collectively work towards lasting peace in their respective conflict areas for development.

Mr. Laar appealed to government to extend electricity to every village of the area, open new and rehabilitate existing roads and financially support young entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

Member of Parliament for the area, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka assured constituents’ of the NPP’s government resolve to implement its pro-poor policies to improve their lives and also give a facelift to the constituency.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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