UWR celebrates silver jubilee

Back (lead) May 20/2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

THE Upper West Region is set to begin the celebration of its 25 years of existence from May 23 until May 31, this year to showcase the investment potential of the region, which was created as the 10th region in the country in 1983.
It will also be used to solicit the views and ideas of prominent citizens of the region on how to chart a way forward in lifting the region from its present state of deprivation to become a centrepiece of development in the country.
The Regional Minister, Mr George Hikah Benson, announced this when he paid a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
The region, which used to be part of the then Upper Region, was created to be on its own in 1983 by the regime of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) under the chairmanship of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Since then, the region has seen some development but has not been largely able to move out of the poverty zone.
Elaborating on the activities lined up, Mr Benson explained for instance that the investment fair had been specially programmed to showcase the huge potentials of the region to attract potential investors.
He mentioned large deposits of clay, which could be used to transform the building industry in the country because of its unique feature of making rooms cooler, and the large mineral deposits such as gold in many other parts of the region.
Mr Benson said the region also had large arable land suitable for the cultivation of many crops and indicated that all these coupled with the peace in the region was a great asset.
He said the region abound with relatively cheaper and problem-free human resource that investors could explore to make good business.
"This region has produced a president for the country and many other leaders and prominent people have served and continue to serve in government and the civil and public services," he added.
Mr Benson said the region was also endowed with many tourists attractions such as the Hippo sanctuary in Wichau.
He noted that the development forum also lined up as part of the celebration would provide an appropriate platform for prominent speakers to chart the way forward.
Mr Benson said what would be discussed and the recommendations thereafter would serve as a blueprint for the development of the region.
He admitted that the region had seen many challenges since it was created and mentioned some as inadequate road infrastructure.
However, Mr Benson was of the view that all these problems could be surmounted if the citizens of the region who had made it in other regions and outside the country could come home to contribute their quota to its development and uplift.
He said the nine-day celebrations would be a major occasion for unity of the region.
Mr Benson paid glowing tribute to former President Rawlings for creating the region and to President Kufuor for not abandoning the region.