Colonel Cyril Necku (retired) Deputy Volta Regional Minister Wednesday urged Chiefs in the South-Dayi District to unite and push for the rapid development of the District. Colonel Necku was addressing the opening session of a two-day training seminar in Kpeve for Chiefs and opinion leaders in the district on Leadership and the Chieftaincy Act. He urged the chiefs to take keen interest in governance issues rather than hand that role over to politicians who have limited tenures in office. “As Chiefs you have influence and respectability, you have authority and need therefore to help government,” Col. Necku exhorted. He said as leaders, Chiefs and opinion leaders must be assertive and protect the public interest at all times by working closely with political office holders. Colonel Necku therefore commended the South Dayi District Assembly for taking the initiative to sharpen the skills of Chiefs and opinion leaders in the district in leadership skills. Mr Edem Asimah, Member of Parliament for South-Dayi, observed that though they are natural leaders, Chiefs needed to acquire the skills in leadership to be able to perform their roles and responsibilities as expected of them. He said the seminar would help build team spirit between the MP and the District Chief Executive on the one hand and the Chiefs and opinion leaders for rapid and orderly development of the district. Mr Asimah said as a new district with only 43 communities, South-Dayi must take advantage of its small size to act with unity of purpose to be able to catch up and surpass older districts in the region. “South-Dayi is at take-off stage all we need is to unite as a team to succeed,” he said. Mr Senanu Bekui, District Chief Executive, was hopeful that the skills to be acquired at the seminar would help the district to correct some past errors and build a strong foundation for constructive engagements among the centres of authority in the district for faster development.