The Upper East Regional Minister, Boniface Agambilla, has blamed the revolutionary government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and their successor regime as the major and pivotal cause of the high level of poverty of the people of the three northern regions of Ghana.

?It was their political strategy, during the 1992 elections, to make us poor so that they could hold on to power for good; that is the truth about poverty in our regions?.

He added that as a result of that political strategy by the aforementioned government, a number of business industries present then in the three regions were deliberately closed down under the guise of divestiture.

He enumerated the industries as Zuarungu Meat Factory in Bolga, Pwalugu Tomato Factory, Rice Mill in Bolga, Rice Mill in Bawku and another Ground Oil Mill also in Bawku.

The regional minister was addressing a durbar of residents of Upper East inhabitants domiciled in Sekondi-Takoradi last Saturday, to cut a sod for the commencement of a housing and school building project in Takoradi. He was accompanied by eight District Chief Executives from the region.

He explained that it was still unclear as to why management of these businesses would suddenly decide to close down an operating industry, but after careful thought, pointed to a political motive, saying there was a long plan of impoverishing communities of the northern regions for future political purposes.

The colonial government, the regional minister noted, were also not exempted from the cause of their poverty-stricken state as they deliberately debarred the inhabitants of these regions from schooling to acquire educational knowledge.

Continuing however, Agambilla pointed out that besides the woes that these governments left the people, there was still hope because the NPP government had come with the correct leaders to push this country to the ?promised land?.

?Let us forget the past and team up with the NPP government to take us to the promise land. We are bringing total government to your door step so that you can differentiate between governments that have come to turn your life around?.

He told the durbar that one remarkable achievement about the NPP government was the provision of infrastructure to the people of the northern regions, and would still continue in their efforts regardless of the tribal affiliation be as preach by other political parties.

?You are aware of the political enemies who preach tribalism. May God burn and bury them. This is the time for you to join the NPP government in seeking to make the Ghanaian environment peaceful for co-existence. No enemy of progress would succeed,? he prophesized.

?Under the NPP government, your business will grow, your community will grow and there will be no more poverty, as the NHIS is one of the strategies by the NPP to alleviate poverty,? he said.

Present at the durbar were the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Boahen-Aidoo, the Metro Chief Executive for SAEMA, Philip Kwesi-Nkrumah, the Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobbina-Nketsiah, among a host of others.