Nayagenia (UE/R), May 5, GNA - The people of Nayagenia in the Kasena-Nankana District in the Upper East Region have observed their second homecoming event with a grand durbar of the chief and people of the area.

Speaking at the durbar, the Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji Awudu Yiremiah, commended the Association's decision to construct a library complex for the Junior Secondary School in the village. Alhaji Yiremiah said education remained the topmost priority of the government to improve the human resource base to accelerate development. To accomplish this mission, he said, a lot of pragmatic measures had been instituted, including the expansion of educational institutions, upgrading of senior secondary schools to model ones and introduction of the capitation grant.

The Deputy Regional Minister expressed regret that despite these efforts, the region's education still lagged behind the rest of the country due to the lackadaisical attitude of parents to take advantage of these opportunities and enrol their children in the schools. He cautioned the youth against indiscipline and drunkenness, especially in the second cycle institutions, and urged the people to ensure that sanity prevailed since the youth were the future leaders. Alhaji Yiremiah also cautioned the youth against the deadly HIV/AIDS.

Mr Mark Woyongo, President of the Nayagenia Town and Development Association, urged the people to rekindle the self-help spirit since government could not provide them with all their needs. He said the association would, at each homecoming, recognise citizens of Nayagenia who made significant contributions towards the development of the village.

It would also give awards to hardworking teachers and pupils in order enhance teaching and learning. Mr Woyongo expressed concern about he yawning gap between the North and the South and urged his fellow northerners who had the resources to invest in the north to create jobs for the youth. He presented four bicycles to the two best teachers in both the primary and JSS schools and the male and female students who got the best results at the last BECE.

The Deputy Regional Minister later planted a tree to signal the beginning of work on the library complex for the Junior Secondary School and also cut the sod to inaugurate a new primary school constructed at the cost of 350 million cedis. 05 May 06