Tamale, July 20, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, the Northern Regional Minister, on Thursday said the filth engulfing Tamale was an eyesore and he would lead a crusade to clean the city.

He said the problem came as a result of the long absence of a substantive Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) and an assembly to plan the development of the metropolis.

Alhaji Iddris told the GNA in an interview that he wanted to make the region a haven of business and investment destination in the north. Therefore Tamale, as a first point of call in the Northern Region, needed to be beautiful and attractive.

"I have the cooperation of the Metro Assembly to help me to succeed in cleaning the city," he said and that as a start the radio stations in the metropolis would be contacted to assist in sensitising the public on the need to keep the city clean.

Alhaji Iddris said all major streets in the Metropolis would be connected with electricity to beautify the city as means of attracting visitors and also to get curb crime to ensure a successful hosting of CAN 2008 in Tamale.

He said Yendi was bound to be receiving visitors and that he would liase with the District Chief Executive to see how best Yendi could be modernized.

On tourism, the Minister said as a way of developing and preserving the tourists centres, he would lobby the government to upgrade all roads leading to tourist centres.

He mentioned in particular roads leading to the Mole National Park, the Salaga Slave Camp, the Naajeriga Fence Wall of 1674 and the Witches Hive at Gambaga and Nalerigu respectively.

He appealed to journalists in the region to market the region positively.