Construction works would commence on the much awaited 147 kilometres Fulfulso-Damongo road on April 15.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama announced this at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Gonja Traditional Area as part of activities to climax the 36th Annual Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association (GLYA) in Damongo on Saturday.

In a speech read on his behalf, he explained that the delay in the construction of the road to be asphalted was occasioned because aspects of the facility needed to re-assessed and re-evaluated to ensure that everything was in place for work to take off smoothly.

He said government had secured a grant of $166 million from the African Development Bank for the contract, which has been awarded to two Chinese construction firms, namely; China International Waters and Electrical Corporation and China Harbour and Engineering Corporation.

Vice President Mahama said, China International Waters and Electrical Corporation would undertake the 80- kilometre stretch of the road from Fulfulso to Larabanga, while China Harbour and Engineering Corporation would also be responsible for the construction of the 67 kilometres stretch from Larabanga to Sawla.

Alhaji Iddrissu Haruna, Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, who touched on the on-going biometric registration, observed that many of the registration centres in Tamale had faulty machines.

He therefore called on the Electoral Commission to replace them to enable all eligible voters to be captured in order to exercise their franchise.

Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister, commended Gonjas for the peaceful manner in which they elect and enskin their chiefs and said it was unfortunate that the Buipe chieftaincy dispute was trying to destroy the noble tradition.

He urged the GLYA to rise up to the challenge and assist the Yagbonwura and his elders to find peaceful and amicable solution to the problem.

Reverend Dr Edward Haruna, National Chairman of the GLYA, said the Association was in constant touch with the Regional Security Committee, the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to discuss and resolve all emergency security cases in Gonjaland.

He said the Association had already taken the initiative to organise peace talks in Buipe and had also intervened in other hotspots such as Wasipe, Kafaba and Kusawgu.

Dr Haruna appealed for the creation of more districts and constituencies in Gonjaland to bring development to the door steps of the people.

He cautioned the chiefs of Gonjaland against the sale of large tracts of land to individuals and developers without expert advice, saying this could be dangerous if the practice continue, “since we will one-day get up to find out that we don’t have any more land”.

Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa Sulemana Jakpa I, urged the GLYA to liaise with the district assemblies, district chief executives and the traditional authorities to ensure that the boundaries of the various ethnic groups are kept intact to maintain peace and harmony in Gonjaland.

He also advised settlers on Gonjaland to respect the laws and traditions of the people to ensure peaceful co-existence, saying: “Gonjas are a peace loving tribe.”

The Yagbonwura also cautioned the youth not to let themselves to be used to perpetrate acts of violence during and after this year’s general election so that the country would continue to enjoy peace.**