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Vice- President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has asked residents living in the savannah enclave in the country to desist from indiscriminate bush burning.

He said there was the need to protect the environment against the havoc that often accompanied the harmattan weather.

He entreated the people in the three regions of the north to help protect the forest cover, cautioning that tree felling is a recipe for environmental degradation that gives rise to climate change.

Mr Amissah-Arthur made the call on Saturday when he joined a durbar of the chiefs and people of Chiana in the Kasena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region to celebrate the Fao festival.

The festival, which was on the theme “Transforming Lives through Peace and Unity,” brought together sons and daughters of Chiana both home and abroad, as well as some ministers of state and Members of Parliament.
 

Festival

The Fao festival is commemorated every year as a major thanksgiving event to mark the end of the harvest season and to also thank the gods and ancestors for the provision of adequate rains throughout the farming season.

It is also to show gratitude to the ancestors for protecting the lives of the people and granting them good health during the farming season.

Development projects

The vice-president stated that in an effort to discourage deforestation in the northern part of the country, the government had taken the initiative to distribute gas stoves and cylinders to the communities.

He also stated that the area had benefitted from its fair share of development projects, examples of which were the small town water system that was currently ongoing, the construction of CHPS compounds to support the delivery of health services and the construction of classroom blocks.

Mr Amissah-Arthur told the people that the government was aware of their concerns, particularly the concern about the creation of a separate district to accelerate development. He gave an assurance that their concerns would be considered in the creation of more districts for other parts of the country.

He also assured the people of the government’s commitment to a peaceful election this year.

The vice-president urged the people of Chiana to use the festival as a rallying ground to unite and promote the development of the district.

Rich culture

The rich culture of the people was on display, with cultural dances such as the “nagila” and the popular war dance which is often referred to as “linlaara” in the Kasem dialect.

There were cultural performances from other ethnic groups to spice up the occasion.

Minister

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr James Z. Tiigah, said the region had benefitted from its share of the national cake as every sector was receiving a facelift.

He indicated that the region in the last one year had played host to a number of important national events and programmes that had not only placed it on the national and international radar but also brought to the fore the many potentials of the region for exploration and investment.

Describing the theme of the festival as apt, Mr Tiigah said peace and unity were prerequisites for human survival and economic prosperity and that it was in that peaceful atmosphere that the people of Chiana started and ended the last farming season in unity.

He lauded the establishment of an education endowment fund in the area, underscoring that the collective support for the fund would improve educational standards in the district.

Chiana-Pio

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Chiana-Pio, Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, expressed concern about the state of the senior high school in the area, saying that it lacked the necessary infrastructure and the capacity to absorb more students.

He reminded the government of the poor state of the roads in Chiana and stressed the need for immediate action to be taken to fix it.

The Member of Parliament for Chiana-Paga, Mr Abuga Pele, also addressed the gathering.

Vice-President Amissah-Arthur presented cartons of assorted drinks to support the festival and GH¢5,000 in support of the educational endowment fund.