Gwollu (U/W) Nov. 30, GNA - The government created more districts and constituencies to help accelerate the development of rural areas and to reduce the rate of illiteracy, ignorance and not to gain political points, Mr Salifu Waah, Sissala East District Chief Executive has said. He said the government created the districts and constituencies in consultation with experts and all necessary bodies who found it expedient to create them and wondered why political opponents were castigating the government on the issue in some parts of the Upper West Region.

Mr Salifu Waah said this at Gwollu in the Sissala West District after the election of Mr John Waalo a public servant as the presiding member of the newly created Sissala West District.

He said the country could not move forward without grassroot democracy, which necessitated the creation of new districts to reduce the burden on the big district assemblies.

Mr Waah appealed to the people of the district to embark on a massive income generating activities that would quality them to receive adequate district assemblies common fund for their development projects. He warned them against ethnicity and all sorts of divisive tendencies that undermine development and democracy.

Mr. John Waalo the elected Presiding member thanked members of the assembly for finally electing him after five previous fruitless attempts.

He promised to unite the House that had taken entrenched positions to forge ahead for the rapid development of the area.

The first election that was held on November 23 failed to elect any of the three contestants- Mr. Nawei Alidu, Mr Ismail Madah and Mr John Waalo and had to be postponed until November 29, 2004.

In the last minute, both Mr. Alidu and Mr. Madah had to withdraw for John Waalo, who polled 14 out of the 19 votes cast to be elected Sissala West presiding member.