The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarum has called on people from the area to contribute to an educational endowment fund he launched two years ago.

He made the call on Tuesday during the celebration of the "Azabene" festival, celebrated annually by the people of Bongo in remembrance of the movement of their grandfathers from Nelerigu to the present land.

It is also used to pray for peace and unity, take stock of development in the area and plan on how to embark on new ones.

It was on the theme" Culture Re-awakened to Promote Education, Sustainable Environment and Afforestation".

The Paramount Chief stated that Government alone cannot contribute to the development of education and called on the people of Bongo, especially those living outside the district and in the Diaspora, to contribute to the educational fund.

Naba Aleemyaarum said there was pressure on the Bongo District Assembly and the common Fund on the Member of Parliament for the area and that it was necessary for them to help in the development of education.
  
He said the Fund has been able to support five students to the Senior High School, with one of them gaining admission to the University for Development Studies.

He indicated that there were a number of brilliant and needy students in the area, who needed support, to further their education and said if they got support through the fund it would develop the human resource base of the district in future.

On developmental activities in the area, the chief said, he had initiated climate change project dubbed" Green Bongo for Sustainable Development" sponsored by the UNDP, and that trees are being planted in 13 communities out of the 32 in his jurisdiction.

He said so far, the trees, planted last season, were doing well and he had assigned people to take care of them, adding that, the communities have been sensitized on afforestation, indiscriminate bush burning, compost manure making, as well as the training of 30 fire volunteers.

Naba Aleemyaarum said the traditional Council has successfully curbed certain negative cultural practices that were inimical to human rights, including the widowhood rites, and said he would continue to ensure that other cultural practices that were harmful were also abolished.

He commended the District Assembly for supporting him on his climate change project and said the other remaining communities would also benefit from the programme.

The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, commended Divisional and Sub-Chiefs for complementing the District Security Council efforts in maintaining and sustaining the peace in the area.

He urged the community members to assist the state institutions such as the police, army, Judiciary among others by volunteering information on issues bordering on crime or any thing that was likely
to create conflict, to enable them to deal with the problem early.

She appealed to the people in the area to take advantage of the pro-poor policies of government including the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), the Northern Rural Growth Project (NRGP), the Shea-nut Development Board, free school uniforms and exercise books to enhance their living standard.

The District Chief Executive for the area, Mr. Clement Akugre said the District Assembly was more committed to education and spends large sums of money in the provision of educational infrastructure and sponsorship for students.

He indicated that the Assembly this year spent about GHC28, 456 in sponsoring and assisting Senior High School Students, Teacher Trainees and Tertiary Students and appealed to parents to play their complementary role effectively by paying their children’s school fees.

GNA
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