Mr Abdallah Abubakari, the Northern Regional Minister has called on all feuding factions in the Region to give peace a chance, saying “Let us negotiate to resolve all outstanding differences”.

He made the call when he delivered an address during the region's celebration of the country’s 59th Independence Day in Tamale on Sunday.

There was a parade and a march past mounted by personnel of the security agencies, school children and voluntary organizations to mark the day, which had as its theme: “Investing in the Youth for Ghana’s Transformation”.

Mr Abdallah, who formally assumed office last Tuesday, told the factions in the Region that “This is an election year and I will urge all of you to be ambassadors of peace”.

The Regional Minister called on all to avoid provocative utterances and insults, and to conduct their campaign on issues, saying “I am here to serve the region and together with you all, chiefs and religious leaders we can make this Region more peaceful and better”.

He also spoke about government’s performance saying it had delivered a high level of infrastructure development in all sectors including health, education, road, utilities, which were impacting positively on the lives of the people.

He urged the youth to uphold discipline and hard work, and to take their education seriously to guarantee them a better future.

The Northern Region has witnessed a number of conflicts arising out of chieftaincy and land disputes over the years, a situation which is affecting its development adversely.