Smarting under accusations of siding with one of the factions in the decade long chieftaincy dispute that has engulfed the Mankessim Traditional area, the Central Regional Minister, Isaac Edumadze, has bemoaned the plight of his region, saying "it is one of the most deprived regions in Ghana.

" Mr. Edumadze, who spoke to Chronicle recently in an interview at Cape Coast on a wide range of issues, including his alleged personal interest in the Mankessim chieftaincy dispute, blamed the under-development of the region on the numerous chieftaincy litigations and "destruction" of people in the area.

The region, which is famous for producing some of the best scholars Ghana has ever had, currently records the highest number of chieftaincy disputes in the country.

The disputes are mostly based on the legitimacy of a person's connection to the royal family of a traditional area. It is therefore not surprising that as a result it is ranked among the poorest regions in the country.

However, with the President's Special Initiatives in place, Hon. Edumadze was hopeful that when implemented successfully it could revive the region's economy.

According to him, even though it is too early to make an assessment on the Government poverty reduction strategy, people's conscience has been shifted with the hope that there is something good in the offing.

He bemoaned the practice whereby billions of cedis are spent on seminars, workshop and conferences when in effect these monies could have been used for other projects that would go towards reducing poverty in the country.

"Some of us just sit down here and see those seminars, workshops and conferences as complete drain. You go to a conference which consumes close to $400-500,000; why don't we establish a plantation with that money and pay the boys at least 150,000 cedis a month," he queried, and said, "

By the end of the day you are creating jobs and establishing a very reliable source of income generation."

"You see we have got a seven-mile-square land which a chief is prepared to give up for palm oil plantation; such monies could be used for that project," the minister said.

"This region," he continued, "has great potentials than other regions which boost of mineral resources like silver, gold and diamonds that will one day be depleted."

Central Region, he said, is blessed with the sea, and other features that position it for the establishment of fishing and salt industries, backed by mechanical factories but have not been tapped.

On the recent unemployment exercise, Edumadze said plans are far advanced to start the training of young men and women who were registered.

He believed when the training programme takes off people are going to get confident in the registration exercise itself.