Bolgatanga, July 2, GNA - Senior citizens in the Upper East Region have praised past governments for respecting the fourth republican constitution and upholding steadfastly to democratic governance. Mr. Abdulai Akyia Awuni, a retired public servant, said this on their behalf when the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council hosted 60 senior citizens from all the nine districts to a reception at the Residency as part of the 50th Republic Day celebrations.

The senior citizens appealed to governments to continue to improve upon good governance that was laid down by late President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. They said Ghana could improve upon governance to gain more recognition and spearhead the development of the democratic process for other African countries to emulate. A retired educationist, Mr. Alfred Afulani Ajene, commended the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) for creating the Bongo District and said since its creation the area was developing fast.

Mr. Akomba Abagey, a retired police officer, went down memory lane and said he was among the first to be sent to the Congo during the Congo crisis in the 1960s and appealed to government to give attention to pensioners who contributed to national development.

He said most pensioners were living under very deplorable conditions having sacrificed so much for the country and that he could not afford to pay his children's school fees. The senior citizens assured the Regional Coordinating Council that they were ready to render their services to the development of the Region and asked the RCC not to hesitate to consult them when the need arises. Each of them received half a piece of cloth and 30 Ghana cedis for sewing the cloth.

They commended the government for remembering them by appreciating the roles they played in national development and said they would continue to pray for the advancement of the country. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, congratulated them for their role in national development and said the government was putting up policies including aging policy, decentralizing the pension scheme to the regional levels and introducing a three-tier pension scheme to improve upon the livelihood of pensioners.