Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, the Upper West Regional Minister, has commended traditional rulers for providing “unpaid consultancy services” for the good governance of the country.

He said the government alone cannot ensure peace, security and stability and appealed to chiefs to continue to complement government’s efforts by counselling the youth to restrain themselves from acts that have the tendency of causing confusion, especially during Election 2012.

Alhaji Sulemana said the youth needed to be guided and nursed properly to enable them become responsible citizens and contribute to national development.

Alhaji Sulemana was interacting with traditional rulers at Jirapa, Lambussie and Nandom as part of his familiarization tour of parts of the region to introduce himself to chiefs and solicit their support for the effective administration.

He appealed to traditional rulers in the region to implement development programmes and help to maintain those that the government had provided.

The Regional Minister said the government was aware of the development challenges facing the communities and would do everything possible to allocate more development projects to the region, especially the new districts.

Alhaji Sulemana appealed to the chiefs and all other stakeholders in the region to educate their people about the Biometric Voters’ Registration Exercise scheduled to begin on March 24.

A spokesperson for the Jirapa Traditional Council, Naa Daniel Tampah, said the council was prepared to assist the government to implement its policies and programmes.

He called on the government to consider elevating all divisional chiefs in the Jirapa Traditional Area to paramountcies for effective local governance.

The Lambussie Traditional Council commended the government for providing Lambussie/Karni District with infrastructure including health, school, office and accommodation facilities as well as other social amenities.

The Council appealed to political parties to conduct themselves with civility to ensure peace before during and after the 2012 polls.

The Nandom Naa, Naa Dr. Puoure Puoube Chiir VII, thanked the government for listening to their appeal for a district, adding that the creation of the new Nandom District would bring enormous development to the area.

He also appealed to government to consider undertaking the Kamba Dam Project to provide irrigation service for agricultural production in the area.**