President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday ended his two-day tour of the Upper East Region, which was climaxed with two durbars by the Chiefs and people of Navrongo and Fumbisi Traditional Areas.

He interacted with teachers and students of the Bolgatanga Senior High School at Winkogo in the Talensi District where he assured that government would increase enrollment of students onto the Free Senior High School programme.

He told the teachers and students that education was a central pillar of his government’s administration, saying that, “I have no hesitation in making it the central pillar of my government’s administration. It is better that we spend the money on the future of Ghana than just consuming it.”

President Akufo-Addo also gave the assurance that government would work to resolve challenges of the school, including lack of transportation and inadequate accommodation among others, to ensure effective teaching and learning in the school.

He proceeded to the Bawku West and Bawku Municipal to address a durbar of Chiefs and people of Binaba, where he assured the people that their paramount desire would be met, “We are determined to ensure that the Bolga-Bawku-Pulmakom road is fully fixed to promote sustainable economic development in this area and Ghana at large and nothing can stop us.”

The President as part of his itinerary in the Region paid a courtesy call on Naba Asigri Abugragoe Azoka ll and said government intended to recruit about 4,500 police personnel this year, to foster peace among the people and empower them to freely go about their daily duties without fear.

At Pusiga, where the President ended the first day of his tour, he paid a courtesy call on Naba Ibrahim Ayomah Aguuri, Chief of Pusiga, and inspected the Kulungugu Bridge.

President Akufo-Addo ended the tour of the Region with durbars of Chiefs and people of the Navrongo and Fumbisi Traditional Areas, where he addressed several concerns of the people and reiterated the significance of government’s ongoing social intervention policies in the areas.

He also inspected the Doninga Bridge and the rice valley in the Bulisa South District, under the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme, and expressed worry about the smuggling of fertilizers in the Region.

The President was in the company of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Deputy Chief of Staff, Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Agriculture.

The others include Mr Kwasi Amoako Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Dominic Ntiwul, the Defence Minister, Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister of Special Development Initiative, Mr Joseph Dinkiok Kpemka, the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, among other Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the Region.

The President was welcomed to the Upper East Region by Regional Executives and enthusiastic members of the New Patriotic Party on August 13.
President Akufo-Addo has since left the Upper East Region to continue his tour of the Northern Region.