The Northern Regional Minister, Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng, have observed that rumour mongering, blatant lies, greed, selfishness and petty jealousy were vices that impedes the development of the country.

He said such negative attitudes had polarized “our society” and constitutes serious obstacles to development that must be checked saying ‘let us refrain from these negative attitudes which serially militate against the unity and development of our society.”

Mr. Ziedeng was addressing the Kumbungu District Assembly on Thursday during the general meeting of the first session of the assembly, which brought the assembly members of the districts together to deliberate on developmental issues affecting the area.

The Minister also chastised Assembly Members of the district who reported very late to the assembly meeting explaining that a lot of productive times were lost in the country through lateness to work and advised them against such negative practices.

Mr. Ziedeng, who is also the Acting District Chief Executive for the Kumbungu District called on the assembly members to place public interest above individual political interest for the development of the district.

He urged the people to continue preaching peace, stressing that, what unites them could never be compared to what will befall them, noting that, without peace and security, the quest for development would be a mirage.

Touching on the development of the district, he said despite the teething problems, steady progress had been made and that the renovation of offices of some decentralized departments and the procurement of furniture and equipments would enhance the work of the assemblies to speed up development.

Mr. Ziedeng said the assembly received GHc270,117.94 as part of its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for 2012 and used it in funding some developmental projects.

He however expressed concern about the low internally generated fund of GHc9,005.80.

He said in pursuance of the Better Ghana Agenda, the government established the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) as a lead agency in championing the development of Northern Ghana and assured the district that they were expected to benefit from SADA in the near future.

Mr. Ziedeng had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Kumbungu Traditional Area Kumbung-Na Iddrisu Abu Yiri II, where he promised to run an open administration with development as his major focus and assured to grant the request of the chief to tar the Kumbungu road.

He said chiefs are very important stakeholders in development and would work closely with them to get the needed development, adding that, ‘education must be seen by all as the major instrument of development….government will continue to provide more infrastructure for quality education’.

Kumbung-Na Yiri II commended the Minister and urged him to offer good developmental projects that would get more people out of poverty.