Cinkasse (Togo), July 10, GNA-The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Abdul-Rahman Gumah, has called for a closer collaboration among citizens at the grassroots levels of towns and cities in the sub-region to foster good neighbourliness for accelerated development. He said the time has come for people in the sub-region to put aside their past colonial ideologies and to pursue a new development course that would be improve the welfare of the people by maintaining open interactions and the exchange of ideas.

He said this new development course should be devoid of any mistrust and suspicion, adding that the colonial masters who partitioned the sub-region have resolved their differences and were forging togetherness and said this should serve as an eye opener to Africans. Mr. Gumah, who led a delegation of the municipal security commanders, heads of departments and traditional leaders, said this at a joint preliminary meeting between Bawku Municipal and Tone Province of Togo at Cinkasse in Togo.

The meeting was aimed at addressing security concerns along the borders between the two towns as well as establishing a sister city relationship between them in order to boost trade and commerce, health and education and to reduce cross-border crimes.

Bawku and Cinkasse are two major commercial towns along the borders in upper Ghana and Togo that serve as main route from the south to Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

Mr. Gumah reiterated President Kufuor's call for good neighbourliness in the sub-region and said this should be appreciated by all for concerted efforts to push the continent's development agenda forward to reduce poverty.

He said individual countries in the sub-region were at a better stead if they coordinate their activities in a transparent way and use the resources at their disposal to advance the good of all in the sub-region.

The MCE expressed the hope that the relationship between the two Heads Of State could be strengthened and replicated at the grassroots in order to maintain peace and development of the two people along the borders.

The Prefect of Tone, Monsieur Lare Paguiridame, said physical barriers should not be seen as limitations of exchanging ideas that would enhance the welfare of the people in the sub-region.

He said a stronger collaboration was a sure panacea to address the myriads of challenges on the African continent and called for genuine dialogue, adding that before our colonial maters came we were one people with one culture and one language.

The Mayor of Cinkasse, Monsieur Affo Worou Bassassi commended the security personnel from both countries for the forthrightness in dealing with issues at the borders and call for more cooperation to sustain stability at the frontiers.

He expressed the hope that fruitful deliberations would result in deeper bonds that would erase all mistrust and suspicion between the two countries for the total integration of the sub-region.