Lawra, Oct 12, GNA - The chiefs and people of the Lawra Traditional Area have expressed gratitude to President John Atta Mills and the government for its commitment to bridge the development gap between the south and north through the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).

They said the establishment of SADA would serve as a vehicle for the socio-economic transformation of the north. Naa Puowelle Karbo, Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, gave the commendation at the celebration of the "Kob-Bine" festival of the chiefs and people of the traditional area at Lawra on Sunday. Naa Puowelle Karbo said his people were encouraged by the ongoing social interventions such as the provision of school uniforms to children in deprived communities, the increase in the capitation grant and the expansion of the school feeding programme.

He said the combined effects of those policies had helped promote access to education for all children in the traditional area. He said despite those achievements, the drop out rate was increasing as the children progress on the education ladder especially the girl child was negatively affected in that regard.

Naa Puowelle Karbo called for improved teaching and learning in school as well as adequate staffing and supervision to help address the poor transition rate among children.

He appealed to the government to establish a teacher training college in the traditional area to address the persistent poor pupil to teacher ratio in the district.

He said the Lawra Traditional Council would provide land for the college if the request is granted by the government. Naa Puowelle Karbo appealed to the government to give consideration to the development of the Kamba Irrigation Dam and other irrigation facilities in the area to ensure all year food production. He appealed to the government to support the traditional council with funds to undertake the construction of the Lawra Cultural Village Project to promote development of their cultural heritage and tourism. On road infrastructure, he appealed to the government to construct the Nadowli-Lawra-Nandom-Hamile road which is vital for the socio-economic development of the area, as it is linked to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

Naa Puowelle Karbo urged government to extend the less than one kilometre Lawra town roads which were constructed under the District Capital Roads Improvement Programme many years to ago to cover the entire Lawra and the roads leading to the Lawra Senior High School and the market.

Efforts should also be made to provide the Lawra Senior High School with a fence wall to help reduce encroachment on the school land. On the provision of potable water to the residents of the town, Naa Puowelle Karbo said the current water supply was inadequate as the population of the Lawra was increasing and called for the expansion of facilities.

Alhaji Issahaque Salia, the Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to the chiefs to use the festival to iron out all political, traditional, social and economic differences among the people. The unity of the people, he said, should be the concern of all traditional authorities and that must not be sacrificed for individual selfish gains.