- Chairman,
- Minister, Upper East Region,
- Minister, Northern Region,
- The member of the council of state,
- Fellow DCEs present,
- The chief and people of Kpikpira,
- Other chiefs present,
- Our Queens,
- Assembly members present,
- Members of the security services
- Heads of Department,
- The press
- Distinguished invited Guests,
- Ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure to be part of this important festival of the chiefs and people of the Bimoba Traditional Area and to welcome every one of you to this important occasion in particular and to the Garu-Tempane District in general.
Before I continue, I wish to thank the organisers of this programme for making me part of it and giving me the opportunity to perform this important assignment.
Mr. Chairman, culture is the way of life of a people. It presents itself in, both manifest and subtle ways. Symbols, rituals, festivals, Language and other outward expressions are often taught to be the only aspects of the culture of a people. But there are other more subtle cultural manifestations.
These subtler aspects of culture such as the value system, the norms to mention but a few are even more important and indeed help shape our worldview and our sense of belonging, even though most people take very little notice of them.
The totality of the culture of a people contribute to shaping their world view give them their unique identity that differential one set of people from the other. It also helps determine what a people keep sacred to themselves not to be shared with others as well as the level of engagement with people of different cultures.
It is in the light of this that the theme of this programme “Redefining the Bimoba Culture, a means to peaceful co-existence” is very relevant.
Culture gives a people their sense of identity and we should all be proud of culture, our people and our heritage. Language is the most powerful outward expression of a people’s culture and that is why we easily identify with people who speak the same language with. It is in this light that we should all endeavour to contribute our quota to promote our culture.
I therefore wish to use this occasion to particularly appeal to our youth to be proud of our heritage and identify themselves, wherever possible with their people since it is not impossible for, a Bimoba to become a British no matter how fluent he/she is in English.
Mr Chairman, it is in the light of the importance of culture to our socialisation process that I thank the chiefs and people of the Bimoba traditional Area for instituting this festival which provides the opportunity for especially the youth to learn more about their rich culture.
Mr Chairman, I would however wish to hasten to add that culture is dynamic and the cultures that are not able to adapt to the demands of the times are those that go into extinction. The history of the Greek, Roman and Nubian cultures which once dominated the history of the world but which are today all dead cultures are important lessons to teach us the fate that cultures that are not amenable to change would suffer. Cultures that survive the turbulence of history are those that continuously make themselves relevant by being able to co-exist peacefully with their neighbours as well as through modernisation.
This Festival is one of the numerous opportunities provided to especially the youth to learn more about the culture and how their people have survived, despite the sometimes hostile environmental influences and provide them the opportunity to take part in improving the culture. I also understand an Education Fund has been established to assist in promoting education in the area.
Mr Chairman, the Bimoba Area of the Garu-Tempane District is one of the most peaceful areas of the District and I commend the chiefs and people for that. I wish to encourage you to keep it up and continue to work hard to maintain that level of peaceful co-existence with your neighbours.
The Assembly in particular and the Government of the NDC in general would also continue to provide the needed social amenities to facilitate the realisation of the full potential of everybody in the District especially the youth.
The under listed projects are projects being undertaken by the Assembly in the Bimoba communities of the district;
Education
- Construction of 1No. 3Unit classroom blocks at the following communities
- Denugu, at Lintel Level
- Dabila is roofed
- Konkomada is Completed and Handed Over
- Kpunkpanyong is Completed and Handed Over and in use
- Memamburi is Completed
- Ninsum is Completed and in Use
- Worikambo Completed and Handed Over
- Zaari is Completed and Handed Over
- Construction of KG Blocks;
- Yizidug is completed
- WarKuon is completed and handed over
- Kariyata
Health
- Construction of CHPS Compounds;
- Dabilla
- Dusbuliga
- Yizidugu
Water and Sanitation
Drilling and Construction of Boreholes;
- Dusbuliga Kugrago/Zaari,
- Sigure Yapala,
- Bimpela No.1,
- Bimpela No.2,
- Kpikpira Naatinga,
- Kpikpira No.1,
- Kpikpira No.2,
- Nababteng,
- Kongo Imam Area,
- Gyaankpesir,
- Laarkoum,
- Tambalugu,
- Kpunkpanyoun,
- Zaar,
- Nawumkpesir,
- Sumanduri,
- Ninsum Primary,
- Kpikpira Primary,
- Tubong JHS,
- Bimpella Primary,
- Siguri
Electricity
The Following Communities are to be connected to the National Electrification Grid. Some of which are completed and others on-going.
- Kpikpira,
- Denugu,
- Duuri,
- Bantafarigu,
- Kugpiela,
- Yizidug,
- Kparimboaka,
- Zansiribuliga,
- Nadigri,
- Bimpella 1&2,
- Larigatinga,
- Nagani,
- Kpalsako,
- Kongo,
- Demonyab,
- Yeogo,
- Benkugri,
- Ninsum,
- Konkomadaa,
- Tubong
Roads
- Rehabiltation of Duuri-Denugu Feeder
- Rehabiltation of Duuri-Dusbuliga Feeder
- Rehabilitation of Kparimboaka- Meliga
- Rehabilitation of Tubong- KpunKpanyong
Good Governance
- Construction of Area Council At Worikambo
- Construction of Area Council at Denugu
- Construction of Chief Pavilion at Kpikpira
Climate Change
- Establishment of Mango Plantation at Konkomada
Mr Chairman, Aside these Projects, there are a number of projects that the central Government Projects that would soon take off in the District. These are among others; the construction of the District Hospital, the Community Senior High School and the Tamne Irrigation Dam Project. Just yesterday the consultants and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) were in the District to meet stakeholders on the long awaiting Tamne Dam project. As I speak the Consultants are already in the Communities along the catchment area of the Dam gathering information to enable them come out with the design of the Dam. Before the end of the year, construction work would start on the Project.
Mr Chairman, On behalf of the chiefs and people of the District, I wish to extend our gratitude to the Regional Co-ordinating Council for advocating on our behalf for some of these Projects and the NDC Government and His Excellency John Dramani Mahama the President of the Republic of Ghana for all the projects.
I urged the youth to take advantage of these projects to better themselves, improve their incomes and stop running to the south in search of non-existing jobs.
On this note I wish to once again welcome all of you to this important festival and to assure you that you are at home. Feel free and enjoy the good hospitality of the good people of the District.
Thank you and May the Good Lord bless us all.
