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THE Western Regional Minister, Mr Ebenezer K.T. Addo, has been campaigning vigorously for companies operating in the region to employ locals. He is concerned that instead of heavily importing workers into the region, which has always been the case, indigenes must be at the forefront of job placement. He particularly stressed that energetic youth in the region with the required skills must be engaged by the companies operating in the extractive sector in the region. The minister emphasised particularly on new projects, development and construction currently shaping the infrastructure of industries. Recently, he told companies working on the Takoradi Port expansion project to engage locals from the region. Mr Addo said the expansion of the port, as part of the Western corridor development programme, has been instituted by government as part of the new measures to enhance the development of the region, which ultimately would drive job creation and improve the scale of employment in the region. According to him, the complaints of unemployment among the youth in the region would reduce if the companies operating in various sectors offer employment to locals. He expressed confidence that the expansion of the port would provide the region the platform to improve its infrastructure, which ultimately will address the challenges facing the development of the region. Mr Addo, whose performance so far has been described in media circles as below expectation, has decided to depart from the campaign of his predecessor, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, currently the Brong Ahafo Minister. Mr Aidoo was always calling on the youth in the region to embrace menial jobs, and stop looking up to others to provide them jobs.