HE chiefs and people of Duusi, in the Talensi- Nabdam district of the Upper East-region, have for the first time celebrated the “ Teng Mealug Dabhire” festival which was recently instituted by the elders of the town.

The event was set up as an opportunity for the people to converge and discuss issues concerning the development of the town and their welfare.

Held under the theme ‘Education, bedrock to development,” Mr. John Tia Akologo, Minister of Information, and a son of the town, in his address stressed that education is indisputably, the bedrock of development ‘, and urged the people to endeavour to send their children to school so that they would become responsible citizens and contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

He re-echoed that the government’s commitment to provide free school uniforms and exercise books, increase Capitation Grant and the number of school- feeding programme were all designed to make education easily accessible to all children.

The Information Minister said government would continue to provide the needed security to enable all and sundry to go about their normal duties.

On housing, Mr. Akologo said governments decision to withdraw tax exemptions by estate developers, was because houses constructed by estate developers could not be afforded by ordinary people.

He told the people that the government had no intention to impose tax on churches and mosques because these were places of worship which were not engaged in any commercial activities.

According to him, government was also taking steps to ensure that nobody tampered with the prevailing situation and cautioned that any body who disturbed the peace in the country would be made to face the full rigours of the law.

He later inspected work on a vocational training centre to train the youth in information and Communication Technology (ICT), building and construction, dressmaking and hairdressing, among others, as well as a toilet and bathroom facility for Duusi clinic,

Mrs. Vivian Anafo the District Chief Executive (DCE), on her part, appealed to the youth of the area to refrain from migrating to the south to indulge in menial jobs but rather stay at home and assist their parents on the farm.

She commended the Duusi Junior High School for being first in last year’s Basic Education Certificate (BECE) in the district and urged them to keep it up as efforts were being made to solve the school’s furniture problems.

Naba Lincoln Nasegre Bayelem Kambey, Chief of Duusi in a welcome address, expressed gratitude to past and present governments for providing the place with development projects.

*Source:

                The Ghanaian Times                  Page: 15      Saturday, December 11, 2010