Bolgatanga, May 24, GNA- Participants at the Upper East Regional People's Assembly held on Friday, have expressed their concern at the long delay in re-opening Senior High Schools in the Northern sector of the Country.

They complained that, the students had "been home for far too long and that could affect their academic performance".

The People's Assembly was held on the theme, "Ghana after 50, looking into the future with hope". It is a forum instituted by the government to get the various actors in the Executive arm of government to give account of their stewardship and also explain certain policies and programmes directly to the people as well as also, listening to the public's views and opinions.

Mr Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, responding to the concerns, said Government had already disbursed GH¢1.7 million, being 28 per cent of the total grant, to the accounts of the schools, but the headmasters had refused to re-open the schools, "because they thought the amount was too small".

He explained that the students would stay in school for the entire term period, when they finally go back, so the delay would not affect their academic work and performance in the long run.

He noted that "Government was sensitive to the problems of poverty in the region and since one major means of reducing it and creating wealth was to increase access to education for all children of school-going age, it would put in its best to promote education".

"In the area of second-cycle education, many Senior High Schools in the

Region are being upgraded to match better endowed schools like Achimota, Mfantsipim and other schools in the South. He said Bolgatanga Polytechnic has benefited from massive government support and has become a centre for training "our youth to acquire the necessary technical and managerial skills for the competitive market".

Mr Samari also commented on the after effects of last year's flood, saying, government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) was assisting farmers in the Region with seed and other farm inputs for this farming season.

He said food items have distributed to the farmers to sustain them till the next harvest.

"Food security decreased by 53 per cent from the 2007 production levels as a result of the floods. Thirty nine small scale dams were damaged and prices of food items increased by about 120 to 180 per cent. He said the Region was still rehabilitating the damaged roads and bridges, while schools would soon be reconstructed through a World Bank fund.

On the Bawku conflict, Mr Samari said it was not only a drain on National and Community resources, but had diverted the minds and attention of authorities in the Region from pressing developmental issues and future plans for the area.

"Mediation efforts are on-going and I would like to use this opportunity to once again appeal to every single citizen of the area to do some soul-searching and work assiduously towards ensuring lasting peace in Bawku", he said.

The Regional forum was poorly attended with only about 150 people, which include Heads of Departments, Assembly Members, Chiefs and District Chief Executives.