Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, said the Region has been recording poor results at Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) for the past three years.

He said comparative analysis of performance of the Region at the BECE showed a gloomy picture as the results kept on worsening each passing year.

Referring to available statistics, Alhaji Sulemana said the Region in 2013 recorded 37.69 per cent pass in the BECE, which declined to 28.81 per cent in 2014 and improved slightly to 28.87 per cent in 2015 in all courses.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, made these revelations during the annual Dumba Festival of the Chiefs and People of the Wala Traditional Council in Wa.

He said the Region, which used to occupy an enviable position at the BECE rating in the past, had suffered a setback in its performance in the past three years and called for collective efforts to help improve the performance.

The Regional Minister said education should be considered as a shared responsibility, pointing out that while government was playing its role, other stakeholders such as traditional authorities, teachers, parents, school management committees and students must be complementing their roles effectively towards the improvement of performance of education in the Region.

Ahaji Sulemana noted that the decline in performance at the BECE was a worrying situation because it was happening at a time government had invested so much finance into the educational sector, especially on the provision of infrastructure and the acquisition of equipment and materials and as well as the upgrading of teachers education.

He explained that education was the bedrock of development and “a key which unlocks the door to modernity and transformation of any society”.

The acquisition and translation of knowledge and skills in solving problems in society remained essential aspects of national development efforts aimed at achieving growth and society equity, he said.

In that regard, the Region would face a serious challenge in improving its human resource development, if stringent measures were not put in place soon to improve performance and enhance development.

The Overlord of the Wala Traditional Council, Naa (Alhaji) Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo, said the area enjoyed relative peace and tranquility in 2015 following reduction in chieftaincy and land disputes due to prudent management of such cases by traditional authorities.

He said robbery of motorbike and property in the Wa Municipality had reduced and commended the security agencies for a good work done while appealing to the people to endeavour to volunteer valuable information to the security agencies about suspected criminal activities of persons in the communities.

Naa Pelpuo also commended government for providing potable water and roads as well as health and education facilities among others for the people.

He however appealed to government to consider the provision of dams to enhance dry season farming and reduce migration among the youth.

Naa Pelpuo, who is also the President of the Wala Traditional Council, urged government to provide more dual carriage roads in the Wa Township to facilitate vehicular movement, people, goods and services in the municipality.