Eschew all forms of negative tendencies that impede the development of the Region despite the numerous challenges in the public sector, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister has said.
He said there were huge potentials in the Region for socio- economic development, and urged public sector workers to “Leverage on our material and human resources to turn the fortunes of the region around.”
He said resources such as the Tono, VEA and Tamne Dams including the upcoming Pwalugu Multi- Purpose Dam were potentials that could turn the fortunes of the region and create job opportunities for residents.
Hon. Yakubu was addressing organised labour at this year’s May Day celebration in Bolgatanga, on the theme: “Protecting jobs and incomes in the era of COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
He said the available resources in the region had the capacity to feed the entire nation and even be exported, saying that the extend to which the potentials could be realized depended on the attitudes of workers towards work.
The Regional Minister, also a former Member of Parliament for the Binduri Constituency, mentioned lateness, absenteeism among other lackadaisical attitudes towards work as deviate behaviours which partly resulted in the collapse of many industries established to improve on the socio-economic conditions of citizens.
“It is my fervent hope that having realized our mistakes, we are now better placed to change our attitude to ensure that the current government policies will not suffer the same fate,” he said.
The Honourable Minister disclosed that he would intended to pay monitoring visits to all government institutions in the Region to ensure that workers inputs justified the salaries they received monthly.
He mentioned specifically the abysmal performances of students in the Basic Education be Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, high maternal mortality and high wastage of treated water which gushed out of broken pipelines.
Hon. Yakubu appealed to labour in the Region to change its attitude to reverse the negative trend in the Region, and congratulated all workers for their contributions towards the development of the region.
Mr. Rex Asanga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive used the opportunity to appeal to members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana, (CLOGSAG) to reconsider their strike action and return to work while government took measures to address their grievances.
He congratulated all workers in the Region and urged them to continue to contribute to the development of the Region and country as a whole.