The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has quoted Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as saying the 24-hour economy policy proposed by former president John Dramani Mahama will prevent men from sleeping with their wives at night and ultimately cause them to lose their spouses to other men.
The regional minister was speaking on behalf of the vice president at a durbar of traditional chiefs in Nabdam, a district in the Upper East Region, on Saturday.
“And the Vice President is saying that he understands the region. He says this 24-hour economics [sic]. Ei! My brothers, when we work in our farms and we are tired in the night, we have to sleep with our wives o.
“We have to be with our wives o. In the night you want us also to go and be farming and, then, people will come and take our wives away? That is why we have to be careful about this 24-hour thing o,” the regional minister said, surrounded by some members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The durbar was organised by the Sakote Traditional Council to climax this year’s week-long celebration of Tenglebigre, a festival celebrated annually to thank the gods of the land for the good harvests recorded at the end of the year.
Also in attendance was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi, who represented the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama.
The festival celebration was themed: “Nabdams, Let us be mindful of the way we destroy the environment and take a holistic approach to protect it”.
“The wanton destruction of our forest leaves much to be desired. It is a big resource for us, and we must do everything in our power to protect it,” said the Paramount Chief of Sakote, Naba Sigri Bewong, at the durbar.
He lamented the deplorable conditions of some roads in the chiefdom and entreated government to help reshape them.
“Take the District Hospital at Nangodi, which is our district capital. There is no sign of any progress. It is still at its foundation level and there is no sign of work. It has come to a standstill.
“Our roads linking the main Bolgatanga-Bawku Road, i.e. from Asongi to Zanlerigu, Damolug, to Pelungu, from Pelungu to Yakot junction, from Pelungu to Sakot, from Nangodi Junction to Sakot to Nyogbare and finally to Datuk and from Pelungu to Dusi and beyond. All these roads, mentioned above, linking the communities are all in bad shape,” the paramount chief added.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org
