Paga (U/E), Dec 27, GNA - Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga II, the President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, has commended the Ministry of the Interior for ensuring peace and security in the country in 2010. The Chief, who is the Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area, said this when the Interior Minister, Mr. Martin Amidu, paid a courtesy call on him.

Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga said the country enjoyed relative peace and calm during the year and attributed it partly to the great job being executed by the Interior Minister.

"The security agencies have been up to the task. They have been able to curb the rampant highway, filling station and bank robberies that used to occur rampantly in the country", he said.

Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga appealed to the Ministry to continue to execut= e its mandate and said the Ministry was a very sensitive area as far as peace and security of the country was concerned.

He appealed to the Ministry to provide the Kassena-Nankana West District with a Fire Service Station and logistics. He said Fire Service personnel had to move from Navrongo to Paga whenever there was fire outbreak at Paga by which time it would have been too late.

Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga appealed to the Ministry to upgrade the police station in the district to a district status to combat crime in the border town.

Mr Amidu assured the Paramount Chief that plans were far advanced by the government to secure more fire tenders and as soon as this was done all districts in the country would have Fire Service Stations with logistics. He also assured the chiefs and people of the Upper East Region that th= e government was more committed to addressing the needs of Ghanaians and said this would be manifested in the ensuing years.

The interior Minister also paid courtesy calls on traditional authorities in Navrongo, Sirigu, Mirigu and Bawku.