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"With all the big brains we have, with all the big english, we are still under-developed"- U/West NYA Boss laments

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The continued under-development of the Upper West Region has been blamed on tribal and religious segregations put in place by natives of the Region. Instead of seeing themselves as ‘Upper Westerners,’ they see themselves as Sissalas, Dagaabas and Waalas.

These sentiments have permeated various sectors of development affecting the forward movement of the region.

Speaking at the 9th Youth and Mentors Achievers Awards, (YAMAA), the Upper West Regional Director of the Youth Secretariat, Mumuni Sulemana cited the current impasse at the University for Development Studies (UDS) and the continuous retrogression of the Wa Polytechnic as examples of the effects of these religious and tribal segregations saying “Upper West [Region] we are the poorest, yet we have the biggest brains.”

Mr. Sulemana continued to say that “the fact remains that we are not making use of our diversity that exists among us as a people. We are only allowing that diversity to spoil a lot of things that we could have done. A lot of us are unable to see everyone in the Upper West Region as one; but we see ourselves as Sissalas, Waalas and Dagaabas. In some cases we see ourselves based on our religious faiths and that is what is downplaying our development.”

“As we are talking UDS [University for Development Studies], our campus [Wa Campus], is now in shambles and it isn’t that we don’t have the brains. We can fight for whatever we want in the University. Go to Wa Polytechnic; why that? With all the big brains, with all the big English, this is where we are as a people.”

The Youth and Mentors Achievers Awards (YAMAA) was instituted by the Upper West Regional Youth Secretariat to award the youth doing extra ordinarily well in their areas of endeavour as well as mentors whose lives serve as inspiration to the upcoming generation.

The Regional Director of the Youth Secretariat Mumuni Sulemana said those who were honoured in the youth categories were taken through rigorous vetting and interview processes to ascertain their suitability to receive the awards.

Mr. Sulemana challenged well-meaning and influential Upper Westerners to work together for the betterment of the region.

Director in Charge of Education and Training at the Authority, Paa Kwesi Evans Nkum

Speaking on behalf of the CEO of the National Youth Authority, the Director in Charge of Education and Training at the Authority, Paa Kwesi Evans Nkum bemoaned the increasing decadence in the Ghanaian Society. He said if mentors are willing to inspire and educate the youth, the Ghanaian society will return gradually to what he termed “normalcy.”

He said “the Ghanaian society is increasingly growing to become a decadent society; particularly our young people. The good morals and values seems be lost on our young people. I believe that with good leadership and good mentorship from our elders, we can revisit this situation and we have our young people grow up to become people we will be interested in and proud of.”

Member of the Council of State Sahanun Mogtari

The Chairman of the Programme and Member of the Council of State Sahanun Mogtari charged the Youth to adequately prepare themselves before taking up leadership Positions.

He added his voice to the call for unity among tribal and religious factions in the region. He alluded to the fact that, that is the only way the Region can move forward to a better place.

The DCE for Jirapa Madam Christine Bonbanye-Amadu in her welcome address charged the youth to take advantage of government policies that have been put in place, to make the country a better place for the youth.

She said the continuous interest of the youth in some illegal and negative activities like illegal mining also known as ‘Galamsey’ and armed robbery would only end in their downfall.

A total of 55 awards were presented to 6 Organisations, 18 outstanding youth members, 18 mentors while 13 Honorary Awards were also given at the Youth and Mentors Achievers Awards (YAMAA)
Story by Mark Smith

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