By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, has expressed worry that lately, the media landscape is replete with issues that play up our differences. He regretted that the phenomenon divided us as a nation rather than portraying our commonness, shared values, and sense of national unity.
Dr Bin Salih expressed the sentiment during the Upper West Regional 66th Independence Anniversary parade held at Issa in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District.
GBC’s Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo says in this report that in all, 16 schools and two cadet corps from Daffiama Senior High School and Issa Technical Institute as well as seven contingents from the various security services were on Parade, under the command of Captain Donkor Nana Boakye of the 10 Mechanised Battalion in Wa.
The Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih stated that the transformation we are yearning for will be a mirage if we stand divided and called for a united front in rebuilding the country.
He said: “Let us therefore rekindle our spirit of patriotism and together rebuild our dear nation. Let me commend the chiefs and people of our region for being united and continuously charting a common cause despite our tribal, religious, cultural, and political differences.
I want to urge all of us to maintain the prevailing peace to ensure the region, which is relatively one of the most deprived in the country, develops in tandem with the rest of the country.”
Dr Bin Salih observed that though governments over the years have invested a lot in the provision of educational infrastructure as well as teaching and learning materials, the performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as well as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in recent time in the Upper West has been on the decline.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to work to reverse the trend. In the March past, St. Theresa’s Vocational School from Daffiama won the Senior High School category, with Issa Technical Institute taking the second position and Daffiama Senior School placing third.
At the Junior High School level, Issa Roman Catholic JHS emerged the winner followed by Duang Roman Catholic JHS whilst Kojokperi D/A JHS came third. Tabiase English-Arabic Primary School was crowned the winner among its peers, followed by All Saints Primary School from Issa, while Issa Roman Catholic Primary secured a third place.