The Upper West Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has assured the overlord of the Wala kingdom of taking pragmatic measures to halt the wanton sale of state lands within the kingdom, particularly Wa to private developers. 

The Minister also told the revered chief that he would ensure that state lands within the kingdom, which had already been sold out, were retrieved if possible.  

Mr Yakubu said this when he paid a courtesy call on the chief to introduce himself to him as the new Upper West Regional Minister and to seek his blessing and support in discharging his duties in the region. 

President Akufo-Addo on April 04, 2024, reassigned the then Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih to the Upper East Region and Mr Yakubu who was then the Regional Minister for Upper East to the Upper West Region as regional ministers, respectively. 

Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Kingdom, made a passionate appeal to President Akufo-Addo during his visit to the region on 24th April, 2024 to intervene to stop the rezoning and privatising state lands within his traditional area, particularly Wa.  

The President in response to the appeal, assured the chief and his subjects that he would instruct the Regional Minister to act on it promptly.  

Naa Pelpuo reminded the Minister during the visit to his palace of the assurance of the President to tackle the menace and the task given to the minister to act immediately to stop the sale of state lands. 

Mr Yakubu informed the chief that he had directed the Upper West Regional Lands Commission, the state watchdog of the state lands in the region, to cease the sale of state lands in Wa with immediate effect or stop the allocation of lands for any purpose.

On other matters, the Regional Minister expressed commitment to working towards reducing the poverty level in the region. 

He said the endemic poverty level in northern Ghana was man-made and could be eradicated through the action of man.  

According to him, education, self-determination and the “I can do” spirit were key factors to break the poverty cycle in the area. 

Mr Yakubu therefore commended the government for introducing “free education,” an intervention he said could take the people of the north out of poverty by ensuring access to education for every child.  

“I also believe that we should be doing things differently to be able to achieve better results, because if we are just going to be doing things the way we have always been doing, and getting very minimal results, then we will not achieve the results that we want to achieve,” he added. 

He urged the people to avoid divisive politics as that is inimical to their personal, community and the region’s development. 

“Politics is about resources, control of resources. So, whoever is controlling that resource, we should be able to bring that person to develop ourselves. 

“It doesn’t matter who becomes the owner of that resource. We should be able to tap into that resource to develop ourselves,” Mr Yakubu explained.  

Naa Pelpuo assured the Minister of the utmost support of his palace to enable him to execute his mandate in the region successfully for the betterment of the people. 

He entreated the Minister to work hard towards transforming the fortunes of the region including enhancing the economic status of the people in the region.