The Association of Bolgatanga, Bongo, Tongo, Nangodi ( BONABOTO) in the Upper East Region is calling on president-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider appointing cabinet ministers from the region to curb the perception of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is an anti-Northern party.
According to spokesperson for BONABOTO, Stanley Abopam, the erstwhile John Kufuor administration neglected the region in his appointment of cabinet ministers except for the regional minister.
This according to him was unfair and Nana Akufo-Addo should work hard to diffuse the ethnocentric ‘NPP Akan party’ perception.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Abopam said the incoming NPP government must take actions to permanently cure the perception by ensuring regional equity in its ministerial appointments.
“At a time in Former President Kufuor’s government there was no minister from the Upper East Region except the Regional minister and we (BONABOTO) felt so marginalized and disappointed. We are expecting that, to permanently cure this perception we expect Nana Addo to appoint cabinet ministers from this region because we have the men and women who can fill ministerial positions. So we will not buy into the idea that, the NPP did not get anybody to appoint from the region, that will be very suicidal and insulting.”
Feeding grants for SHS students in the North
BONABOTO also expressed high expectation on the NPP government elect to as a matter of urgency in its first 100 days defray all arrears owe senior high schools in the North in respect of feeding grants whilst in the long-run take steps to regularly pay the grants on time.
According to Abopam, the current government’s indebtedness to second cycle schools in the three regions of the North was worrying and needed urgent attention.
He added that, government deliberately through the Ghana Education Service made students pay for their own feeding by paying in full their school fees or forfeit their meals.
Currently government owe feeding grants for second and third terms of 2015/2016 and the first term of 2016/2017 academic years respectively.
Meanwhile government has not also paid the absorbed fees for day students under the progressively free SHS in the Upper East Region for 2015/2016 academic year.
Mr. Apobam appealed to the Nana Addo government not to abandoned projects commenced by the out- going John Mahama government in the region but work assiduously to complete them to boost the socio-economic prospects of the region.
“We expect the continuity of the asphalting of most of the town roads in most of the district capitals, particularly the Bolgatanga-Bawku road, Sandema-Fumbisi road and the re-asphalting of the Tamale-Paga high way.”
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