Our major challenge as a people is poverty and the situation is worsened by large-scale indiscipline in all sections of our society, Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister has said.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to imbibe in the youth Ghanaian and African cultural values of honesty, tolerance, peace and harmony.
This, he said, would enable Ghanaians cultivate the spirit of patriotism and nationalism portrayed by the founding fathers and contribute significantly to sustainable development and poverty reduction.
“Our teachers and elders must not only be preaching these virtues, but also must be seen to practice them and be role model communities for our children to emulate,” he said.
Speaking at the 65th Independence Day anniversary celebration at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Mr Yakubu bemoaned the indiscriminate littering of the environment, which had often resulted in the outbreak of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and cholera among others.
“All these diseases which constitute a threat to our lives can be avoided if we keep our environment clean.
“Besides, indiscriminate bushfires and the use of social media to cause fear and panic has become the order of the day, I wish therefore to make a clarion call to all our teachers, chiefs, opinion leaders and the youth to launch a crusade against these anti-social tendencies that can derail our peace for development,” he added.
The Regional Minister reiterated the commitment of the Government of Ghana to creating enabling an environment for prosperity for all Ghanaians through its various social interventions.
Mr Yakubu called for support to successfully implement them to create jobs and improve upon the general living standards.
He mentioned the Free Senior High School Education, planting for food and jobs, rearing for food and jobs, Nations Builders Corps among others as some of the interventions of the government towards job creation and poverty reduction.
The regional celebration was characterised by march-pasts and field games undertaken by various schools in the region.