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THE MINORITY in Parliament yesterday bombarded the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, with questions for almost an hour, asking him to explain why his region celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Joseph Kofi Adda, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, had filed a question asking the minister whether the celebrations held at Bolgatanga, dubbed �Upper East@ 50�, were celebrations to mark the creation of the Upper East Region or the creation of the former Upper Region, which comprised the now Upper East and Upper West Regions. The regional minister had a hectic time explaining why the Upper East region celebrated its golden jubilee anniversary when it actual sense it has not been an independent region for 50 years. According to members of the Minority caucus, including MP for Akim Abuakwa North, Professor (Emeritus) Samuel K. Amoako, who asked the question on behalf of Kofi Adda, Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Frederick Opare-Ansah, Minority Whip and MP for Suhum; Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, MP for Old Tafo and Kwame Osei-Prempeh, MP for Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo, the Upper East region should have been 27 years old last year and not 50 because it actually became a region in 1983. But Mr. Woyongo contended that even though the then Upper Region was divided into Upper East and Upper West Regions in 1983, the Upper East Region maintained the capital of the erstwhile Upper Region, Bolgatanga, as its capital. He said the view of the Planning Committee was that since Bolgatanga continued to be the regional capital of the Upper East, the region should maintain its creation date as July I, 1960. This, according to Mr. Woyongo, explained why the 50th anniversary was celebrated, although at an advanced stage of the implementation of the programme of activities, some social commentators on various airwaves raised the issue of the Upper East Region not being 50 years. However, he and the Chairman of the Planning Committee explained at various fora that the region was justified to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary as has been adduced, and the issue was laid to rest. The celebration of the event was meant to showcase the region�s socio-economic potentials with the view to attracting investors that will help the region to develop since it was considered the most deprived in the country. Mr. Woyongo explained that upon his assumption of duty as the Upper East Regional Minister, and at a meeting with Municipal/District Chief Executives and Regional Heads of Department, the issue of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Upper East Region was raised and discussed extensively. Subsequently, he formally wrote to the Office of the President, seeking permission to celebrate the event and approval was granted on April 27, 2009. Following this, Mr. Woyongo said he proceeded to constitute and inaugurate a Planning Committee on April 30, 2009 to plan the activities to mark the anniversary, which was to come off in 2010 since the then Upper Region was formally promulgated on July 1, 1960 and was therefore to turn 50 years on July 1, 2010. Mr. Woyongo commended Members of the Upper East Parliamentary Caucus for supporting the programme in diverse ways, including financial contributions.