The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has announced the elevation of the Builsa North District to a municipality following the signing of an Executive Order on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, at the Jubilee House.

The President made the announcement at this year’s Feok Festival at Sandema in the Builsa North District of the Upper East Region.

He also announced that works on a contract document for the construction of the Doninga Bridge over the Sissili River in the Builsa Traditional Area had been concluded and the contractor has 24 months to complete the project.

He said the Navrongo-Sandema-Wiaga-Fumbisi road is part of some national roads. It was originally awarded to two contractors but the work came to a halt and government has renegotiated the contract. One of the contractors, My Turn Company Limited, awarded 10km of the road, has returned to site to continue work.

The Sandema-Santijan-Fian road, which is an alternative route from Sandema to Upper West, has been rearranged and soon the contractor will get to site to start work.

Responding to a request by the paramount chief of Sandema for a tractor service for farmers in the traditional area, the President gave an assurance that government would establish 200 agricultural mechanisation centres across the country and Sandema, the Builsa North capital, would be a beneficiary.

He called on the people of the traditional area to be patient with the government as it works to respond to some other requests it has made in the past, saying that he has put before the Education Minister, the paramount chief’s request to have a tertiary institution in the traditional area, and he is yet to receive a response from the minister.

The Paramount Chief of Builsa Traditional Area, Nab Azagsuk Azantilow, said President Akufo-Addo is the only President of Ghana, who has joined the people of the Builsa Traditional Area to celebrate the Feok Festival over the past 20 years. He urged him to continue to keep the area at heart.

This year’s Feok Festival was themed: “Leveraging our Culture and Human Resource for Development”. Touching on the theme, the paramount chief disclosed that alcoholism and bush-burning were destroying the youth and the lands and properties in the Builsa Traditional Area.

This is not the first time the paramount chief is complaining of the effect of alcohol on the youth of the area.The suggestions he has been giving the district assembly have not been implemented to help deter the youth from excessively consuming ‘Akpeteshie’.

The Feok Festival is an annual event celebrated by the paramount chief and people of Builsa Traditional Area in the Upper East Region in the month of December. The people of the traditional area mark this occasion to thank their ancestors and God for a successful farming season and a good harvest.

The festival is also celebrated in remembrance of the battles their ancestors fought to resist and defeat notorious slave raiders who invaded their traditional area in the 19th century.

On the climax day, chiefs and people, including the political heads from the two districts – Builsa North and Builsa South – converge on the “feet” of the paramount chief to take stock and make projections into their future.

This year, President Akufo-Addo made a donation of 30 crates of assorted drinks and a cash amount of GH¢10,000 in support of the celebration.

Dignitaries present were the Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Abayage; the Aviation Minister and MP for Navrongo Central, Joseph Kofi Adda; Minister for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama and Minister of State at the Office of the President, Rockson Ayine Bukari.

Others include district chief executives of the Builsa North and South and a Former Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Asangalisa Agnes Chigabatia.