The Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, has entreated political parties, media practitioners and other stakeholders to avoid any parochial interests in the run-up to the 2012 elections. He noted that stakeholders had a moral obligation to put Ghana first and ensure that the stability and peace of the country was not toyed with as the nation prepared for the elections. Mr Mahama stated this in a speech read on his behalf by the Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Castle, Osu in Accra, Dr Christine Amoako Nuamah, during the opening of the four-day Northern Region Policy Fair in Tamale. The fair was aimed at creating a platform for the people of the region to critique and contribute to policy formulation in Ghana. The fair, which is the third regional event to be organised in the country after the Volta Regional one in Ho and the Ashanti Regional event in Kumasi, had the theme “Empowering the people as we build a better Ghana”. It would also create a conducive environment for dialogue between policy makers and implementers as well as those affected by the policies in the region. The event brought together district chief executives, assembly members, heads of departments, traditional rulers, public and civil servants, and representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). Among the dignitaries was the President of the Northern Region House of Chiefs, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Sulemana Jakpa Bore Essa I. The Vice-President assured Ghanaians of the government's resolve to ensure free and fair elections, adding that the necessary financial and logistic support would be given to the Electoral Commission to enable it to discharge its duties effectively. Touching on the fair, Mr Mahama commended the Ministry of Information and its partners for coming up with such initiative and urged the people of the region to take advantage of the fair and the opportunities it offered them. He noted that the region was endowed with enormous potential yet to be fully tapped for the socio-economic development of the area. The Vice-President therefore appealed to residents of the region to fully participate in the event and to cooperate with the organisers to make it successful. The Minister of Information, Mr John Tia Akologo, observed that the event was not a “rhetoric rendez-vous but an opportunity for residents to participate in governance”. He entreated residents to “put to sleep their political lenses and deliberate dispassionately on policy issues that affected every Ghanaian”. Mr Akologu noted that since the launch of the fair, it had gained massive media support and publicity. The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, said there had been tremendous investment by the government in all sectors of the economy, including the region. An exhibition was mounted at the fair by the various public institutions, ministries, departments and agencies.