The government would implement special programs to address the socio-economic problems facing the three northern regions, Vice President Aliu Mahama said on Saturday.

These include the provision of irrigation schemes to ensure that farming which is the main occupation in these regions, continues all year round, as well as the improvement in health and educational facilities.

Addressing a durbar to climax the annual congress of BONABOTO at Bolgatanga, Alhaji Mahama said a national forum organized at the beginning of this year, to assess the economic status of the various regions and their people, revealed that the three regions were the poorest and least developed.

"To this day access to education remains the problem in these regions. Less than half of the inhabitants have access to primary education," he said, adding that only 8.4 per cent had access to secondary education.

Alhaji Mahama said according to the Core Welfare Indicators Survey of 1997, the Upper region had the highest rate of stunted, under weighted and wasted children, with low life expectancy and high rates of mortality.

He commended BONABOTO for taking the initiative to address some of the problems.

BONABOTO, which is an acronym for Bolgatanga, and it is an association with membership from Nangodi, Bongo, Tongo and their environs, formed about 30 years ago under the leadership of some priests, to improve the living standards of the people.

At the end of their four-day congress which discussed problems militating against development, members issued a communiqu?' which urged the government to seek reparation from the British government for deliberately implementing a policy that denied the Northern people education for over 100 years.

Alhaji Mahama said the objectives of BONABOTO were in line with the All Northern People's Conference (ANPC) to be held next year, which would come out with strategies to address problems of the North and "put their case firmly on the national agenda".

He urged people of the northern extraction irrespective of their political affiliation, to participate fully in the conference to fight a common cause.

"I believe that we the educated ones are the hope of our people. We cannot afford to be content with our little individual success while the majority of our people wallow in poverty," he said.

Alhaji Mahama called on the chiefs of the North to take steps to resolve all the chieftaincy disputes in their areas to facilitate development.

Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, who underscored the need to promote unity and peace, invited some Ministers at the durbar and two former Ministers of the National Democratic Congress to shake hands to demonstrate unity.

Hajia Alima Mahama, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, advised BONABOTO members to work with their district assemblies to develop the three-year strategic plans for the alleviation of poverty.

She said the plans would assist the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Integration to develop specific programs to suit their needs.Bonaboto,s communique', called on the government to reinstate the Northern Scholarship Scheme at the tertiary level of education and extend it to day students in Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).

It also called for the replacement of shea nut research under the Savannah Agriculture Institute, which is currently under the Cocoa Research institute to ensure that it received adequate attention.

In another development, the Vice-President attended the Adaakoya (We have farmed) Festival at Zuarungu, where he addressed a large durbar of chiefs and people of the area. He assured them of government's commitment to get investors to revamp the Pwalugu tomato factory and the meat factory at Zuarungu.

Alhaji Mahama explained government's policy on politics, education and the economy and appealed for their support to implement them successfully.

A spokesperson for Zuarungu Naaba, Charles Bob Ayamba, appealed for the establishment of a police station, an improved electrification program and educational infrastructure.