Wa, April 17, GNA - Wa-Naa Yakubu Seidu Soale II, Paramount Chief of Wala Traditional Area in the Upper West Region on Saturday called for unity among royals of the four Gates in the interest of progress and development of the area.

He said "The entrenched position taken by some royals from the Gates is impacting negatively on development of the traditional area." The four royal Gates that ascend to the skin on rotational basis are; Yijihi, Najeri, Jonyuohi and Na-Kapha. Wa-Naa made the call during the celebration of this year's Dumba Festival of the Chiefs and people of Wala Traditional Area at Wa. The Wala Traditional Council takes stock of its achievements and failures for the past year and draw up developmental action plans for the ensuing year.

Climax of the festival was the jumping over a cow by the 80-year-old chief without touching it or tripping over to show that the chief would celebrate next year's festival. The Wa-Naa described the deplorable state of the Wa-Naa's Palace that was once a tourist attraction in the region as a disgrace to Wala royals.

Some royals from the gates protested against attempts by the Museums and Monuments Board to rehabilitate the dilapidated palace recently.

He commended the security agencies for maintaining law and order within the traditional area and called on chiefs and people of the area to support and co-operate with the Wa Municipal Assembly especially in the area of revenue mobilization and sanitation.

The Wa-Naa announced that the Wala Traditional Council would soon launch an Education Endowment Fund to support brilliant but needy students.

Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, said the Government attached great importance to cultural values and rich traditions of the people.

"We should therefore strive to uphold our rich cultural heritage and more importantly to let it serve as a unifying force for society," He added.