Takpo (UW), May 09, GNA - Politics and democracy in Ghana was on Saturday given a boost when two prominent politicians jointly appealed to their supporters to tolerate each other's views and conduct themselves in a harmonious manner.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Member of Parliament for Nadowli West and Minority Leader in Parliament, and Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, were both at Takpo in the Nadowli District of the Upper Region to celebrate the annual Wilaa Festival of the chiefs and people of the area.

Before their addresses, both politicians embraced and teased each other.

Mr Bagbin teased Mr Dery that he (Bagbin) was older than Mr Dery but because he was in power he was compelled to call him an elder brother and that drew a lot of laughter from the people. He told the people that in a race one person was bound to be first and urged them never to fight because of politics but to continue to work in harmony towards the development of their area which was lagging behind in terms of development.

Mr Bagbin said the Bole-Bamboi road was a challenge to the people of the region and that he would seek to dialogue with the government to complete it to open up the region.

Mr Dery reacted to Mr Bagbin's claim of being older than him and said that if age could be written on faces then people would not need a soothsayer to tell them that he (Ambrose) was far ahead of (Bagbin) in age.

Mr Dery told them that when they were born they did not come out with political parties and would therefore not go back with them when they die.

"You were born as one people in one village which is your real identity and why should you be fighting over things that would not be beneficial to your society?" he asked. The Regional Minister, who touched on issues cutting across politics and health, told the people to patronise the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The Wilaa Festival is one used to thank God for the previous harvest and to pray to God for the coming years. Mr Ambrose Dery donated five million cedis while Mr Bagbin and wife donated four million cedis towards their Education Endowment Fund.