Northern Regional Minister Shani Alhassan Sayibu says eight hospitals under Agenda 111 in the Northern Region are expected to be completed by December 2023.

He said the Region which is also benefiting from the construction of a psychiatric hospital, the first of its kind in the five regions of the Northern part will also be done at the same time.

The Minister said this when he addressed stakeholders at the maiden Northern Regional Coordinating Council meeting for 2022.

The council meeting is the highest decision-making body in the region, which meets periodically to review the progress of the various activities, projects and programmes in the region.

Alhaji Shani said construction works have started in most of the districts whilst others are yet to commence.

He named the beneficiary districts and municipalities under the Agenda 111 projects as Mion, Wulensi, Kpandai, Saboba, Kumbungu, Nanton, Savelugu and Sagnarigu.

On security, the Minister commended the various security agencies for their proactive interventions which he said have contributed to reducing crime and insecurity in the region.

"We experienced some incidences earlier in the year, relating to some robberies in Tamale and some parts of the region.

"The response of our security agencies especially in Tamale has contributed to dealing with crime to the barest minimum. The current police visibility in town and traffic intersections has been quite effective," he said.

Alhaji Shani urged the citizenry to support security in the fight against crime.

"We expect the cooperation and support of the entire citizenry to maintain law and order throughout the region," he added.

He also cautioned those who engaged in negative activities such as wrongful parking, petty trading and among others around the Tamale interchange to desist from those activities.

"The Metropolitan Assembly should fashion out measures to ensure sanity at all times around the interchange".

He also urged residents to inculcate the habit of monitoring activities of everyone and report suspicious behaviour and activities so that the police can deal with crimes like kidnapping, killing, armed robbery, rituals and occultism among other vices in the region.

"It is also imperative that we give attention to looming threats of violent extremism which has engulfed our neighbouring countries and especially, Burkina Faso.”

In education, the Minister urged the various assemblies to pay attention to the current and yet-to-be-written examinations adding that the students should be motivated to give in their best.

Alhaji Shani also talked of roads being constructed in the region to improve transportation and economic activities.