Northern Regional House Of Chiefs Meet President Mahama At Jubilee House | ChannelOneNews

[00:00:00]of chiefs, members of parliament, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and other government appointees present, members of the media, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon.

[00:00:15]Constant engagement between government and traditional authorities is an important part of our development process and it is in this spirit that I welcome all of you to the presidency, the seat of government. I wish on behalf of his excellency the president to particularly welcome our revered chiefs from the northern regional house of chiefs who have deemed it befitting to pay this curty call on his excellency the president. You are all most welcome.

[00:00:46]With your permission Mr. President I would now like to introduce senior government officials who are present with us today.

[00:00:56]We have the honorable chief of staff, the honorable Julius Deborah, Mr. Prosper Banani, presidential adviser on national security, honorable Harunu, Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Tamil South Constituency.

[00:01:21]We have honorable Joseph Bucharipe, Minister for Transport and Member of Parliament for Saboba Constituency.

[00:01:30]We have honorable Retana Odo SA, deputy minister for local government, chiefty and religious affairs and member of parliament for La Kotapon constituency odulli. Sorry, forgive me. We have the honorable al-Hassan Saiibu Suini, deputy minister, roads and highways and member of parliament for Tamil north constituency.

[00:01:56]We have Dr. Nemoy Thompson, chairperson, national development planning commission.

[00:02:05]We would recognize all others later.

[00:02:10]On this note, excellency, may I invite the regional minister for northern region, the honorable John Adolf Ali to introduce the delegation.

[00:02:34]>> No.

[00:02:40]No sense.

[00:02:46]>> Your excellency, it wasn't deliberate.

[00:03:01]Honorable of states present here, our very revered chiefs from the north, specifically northern regional house of chiefs, members of parliament, other government officials. My able this five of my able metropolitan municipal and district chief executives are here with me.

[00:03:37]Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, your excellency, I am here this afternoon with all members of the regional house of chiefs, our members of parliament and ministers and other government appointees from the region to pay a courtesy call on you.

[00:04:02]Your Excellency, first of all, we want to congratulate you on behalf of the good people of the northern region for your ascension once more to the presidency after the 2024 presidential elections.

[00:04:22]Your excellency, we are here with almost all the chiefs of the regional house of chief and if any of them is not here perhaps it is a situation that is beyond his control.

[00:04:43]Your Excellency, after your victory, you visited the northern region on a thank you tour. And the chiefs have been yearning for this great opportunity to come and congratulate you and also reciprocate the visit to the north.

[00:05:04]The chiefs are very happy.

[00:05:09]Also when you came on another mission to engage the people of the northern region where the chiefs who are stakeholders were present in their numbers for you to account to the people of the northern region what our government has done so far within a period of just one month sorry one year and four months Your excellency, in view of that, the chiefs have found it very necessary to move to the flax to the presidency to let you know that northern region holistically all the chiefs and people will stand by you and to let you appreciate the fact that within this period of one year and just 4 months, the developments that we have seen so far is unprecedented and they must commend you for that.

[00:06:13]Your excellency, especially the last visit that you paid where you cut sword for the commencement of the 24-hour economy market, ultraodern markets, not only in Bimila where you cut sword, but in all districts in the northern region and for that matter in all districts in Ghana.

[00:06:34]Your excellency, we in the northern region especially want to say a very big thank you for this magnificent edifice that you are putting across nationwide.

[00:06:44]Your excellency, on this note, I will now go straight to introduce to you the revered chiefs who have come all the way from the northern region to pay the courtesy call on you.

[00:07:00]Your Excellency, His Majesty Danyana Abukari II, the King of Dong and President of the Regional House of Chiefs is unable to come in person, but he has been able represented by his Royal Highness the Bumlad Banglana Yakub Andani Dasana who is also the leader of the delegation, the leader of the Nanung, the leader of the Nanung Kingdom.

[00:07:32]Your Excellency, we also have Naab Kuna, Adam Abdullah II, the paramount chief of Kua Traditional Area.

[00:07:41]Your Excellency, we also have Nabakam Karna Nama, paramount chief of Kaga Traditional Area.

[00:07:51]Your excellency, we also have Nabak Yona and Danny Yakubu Abdulai the fifth the paramount chief of Yo traditional area.

[00:08:01]We also have Nabre Lana Alasan paramount chief of Myang uh Mangalana your excellency is your in-law and when we get up you have to do the needful otherwise your excellency can call for his daughter.

[00:08:25]We also have na Abdi Abu sorry now Abukari par chief of the Sunong traditional area. Then we also have Naabucha Alu param chief of the Bush traditional area. We also have to represent. We also have Nyabana Omar the regent of Y that is the Zabzu traditional area. We also have Nayaba major retired Abukari.

[00:09:06]Uh, your excellency, he's a very old but very strong and active uh, chief. If he dances here, your excellency, you throw all your money at him.

[00:09:18]Your excellency, we also have Naab Kumba Nayab Kumba Idrisu Abu Param chief of the Kongo traditional area. We also have Nabapre Nantona Muhammadu the 5 paramount chief of Nanong traditional area and we have Nabapre Nabap Tamong Lana Yakubu but could not be here in person. We also have Nabaprea S param chief of Tiju. We also have Nabap Sa ambassador Yakubu Abdullah. We also have Gunda Haj Abu represented by Va Hamid no Ham.

[00:10:13]uh your excellency she's the only female in the regional house of chiefs and I think she's the only female in the uh house of chiefs across the country she's able represented here your excapon chief of the tatal traditional area also have niron chief of the Nambiri traditional area.

[00:10:45]We also have uh Nabre Saba John Mater that's my area chief uh param chief of the Saboba traditional area. You also have Nabapreak Bangalana my good friend uh Osman Salifu that's the regent of the Weni traditional area. We'll have Nabapri Chamber Bangla Alhaji Womb the Chamber Traditional Area. We also have Napa Navia Sibu Muhammad Paramount Chief of the Ja Traditional Area. Your Excellency, we also have Nabri Abdullah, regent of Dbang. Sorry, Dwam.

[00:11:33]We also have Bakaban Na Adam the param chief of the Bakaba traditional area. We also have Nabapu Zulana Professor Natma param chief of the Vaw traditional area Zugu traditional area. Your excellency we also have Nabap Zang Balana Dr. Jacob Mahama, paramount chief of Zang Balango traditional area. We also have Nabaper Chicha Banglana Isa the regent of Chichago traditional area.

[00:12:12]Your excellency, we also have Nabap Langir Banglana Muhammad Maka Langir traditional area and finally Na Deipsy who is not able to be here. Your excellency, these are the revered chiefs that I have come with all the way from the northern region to pay a courtesy call on you. We are very grateful.

[00:12:42]I I mentioned it. Your excellency, these are the revered chiefs who have been led by the regent of uh Nan to pay a call on you.

[00:13:02]Sorry.

[00:13:07]Sorry.

[00:13:20]Your excellency uh thank you very much for the audience.

[00:13:31]Thank you honorable minister for the introductions.

[00:13:36]It is now my honor to invite on stage the deputy minister for local government chief ty and religious affairs the honorable reta to deliver the welcome address.

[00:13:57]Thank you very much my brother.

[00:14:02]Your excellency the visionary president of the republic of Ghana his excellency John Romani Mahama the chief of staff permit me to stand on the existing protocols.

[00:14:16]Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It is my singular honor and privilege on behalf of his excellency the visionary president of our nation to warmly welcome his majesty Jana Abukari I overlord of Dagong and the president of the northern regional house of chiefs and the distinguished members of the northern regional house of chiefs to the presidency. Your Excellency, members of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs are here to fratonize with you and to congratulate you on your assumption to the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana. As their son, they deem it important to come and see how you are fairing and to bring you your attention to some issues concerning the development of the North for your intervention. Distinguished members of the national northern regional house of chiefs, your son since the assumption of office has been working tirelessly to turn the fortunes of the nation around.

[00:15:19]His focus for the last one and a half years has been on the reset agenda to bring stability to the economy and comfort to Ghanaians. Today's gathering reflects the enduring partnership between the institution of chieftani and the government of Ghana in promoting peace, unity, stability and development for our communities. The institution of chieftansi remains one of the most revered pillars of our national identity and governance structure. Once again on behalf of his excellency the president of the republic of Ghana and the ministry of local government chief tans and religious affairs we wish to warmly welcome you to interact with his excellency the president of the republic of Ghana. Thank you.

[00:16:12]Thank you honorable deputy minister for the welcome remarks. May I now invite back on stage the northern regional minister uh honorable John Ali to tell us the purpose of the visit.

[00:16:28]Honorable minister you okay?

[00:16:43]>> All right. Great. All right. Thank you very much. It is now my honor to invite his royal highness yelling Bulguna Yakubu Andani Dasana, leader of the delegation and regent of Nanu to deliver his remarks on behalf of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs.

[00:17:09]All right.

[00:17:31]Your Excellency, the President John Ramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, the Chief of Staff, Honorable Ministers of State, distinguished members of government, my fellow paramount chiefs and members of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, ladies and gentlemen, your Excellency, we bring you warm greetings from the chiefs and elders and people of the northern region.

[00:18:01]On behalf of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, I stand before you today with gratitude for this audience.

[00:18:09]Your Excellency, tradition demands honesty, and it is with genuine conviction, not merely flattery, that we commend your administration for its extraordinary attention to the northern region since your inugation on 7th January 2025.

[00:18:37]The northern region, which has historically borne the the weights of developmental disparity, has in recent months witnessed a refreshing tide of governmental action. We watch with pride and joy as your excellency personally led the second leg of the nationwide resetting Ghana tour to our region on Saturday 18th of April 2026 accompanied by your ministers of state and institutional heads. The visit was not merely symbolic. It was a powerful statement that the not matters, that our people matter and that this administration is committed to inclusive development.

[00:19:23]During that historic visit, your excellency inspected the ongoing construction of the modern cardiology center at the Tamil Teaching Hospital being developed under the Mahama care Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

[00:19:40]for our people in the north who for decades have had to travel hundreds of kilometers south for decades have had to travel hundreds of kilometers s for specialized cardiac treatment. This investment carries the weight of a thousand prayers answered.

[00:20:10]Your Excellency also Your Excellency also inspected newly acquired power transformers at the Northern Electricity Distribution Company in Tamil and committed to addressing electricity instability that has stifled and commence the daily life in our communities. You acknowledged the overstretched and aging infrastructure and pledged a sustainable solution including plans for local transformer production. The northern region took note and was grateful. Furthermore, your excellency cut for the construction of 24our model markets in Bimila, the city of my kingdom and in Kuku Tamil. This markets designed with storage warehouses, security post, health, care services, and food courts represents a revolution in our commercial ecosystem. The northern region has long operated on the rhythm of once or twice weekly traditional markets. Your Excellency, Your Excellency's vision to transform this into roundthe-clock economic activity signals a new chapter in northern development, one that we welcome with open arms.

[00:21:34]Under your flagship big push program, 13.9 billion Ghana cities infrastructure framework has been launched for the nation and we encourage that the northern region features prominently in the plans of your roads and highways ministry. We acknowledge your your administration's commitment to releasing 4 billion Ghana cities to resume stalled road projects and issuing commencement authorization for infrastructure projects under the big bush under the big push.

[00:22:11]These actions speak louder than words.

[00:22:14]Your excellency, the north remembers, the north is grateful and the north stands firmly behind you.

[00:22:22]Your Excellency, we hope this opportunity will distinguish our engagement from the courtesy calls that we have preceded that has always preceded us. We have a different approach, partnership, not just petitions. Your excellency, we are aware that most regional house of chiefs have visited the presidency and each has presented requests, projects needed, rules to be constructed, development gaps to be filled. These requests are valid and necessary and we too have critical needs in the northern region.

[00:22:57]However, the Northern Regional House of Chiefs comes before you today with a fundamental different different approach.

[00:23:09]We come not primarily to ask what government can do for us but to declare what we can do for government through government for our people.

[00:23:20]We come to offer partnership not just to present petitions. We come to commit capacity not just to site challenges.

[00:23:29]We come to pledge active collaboration in development not passive reception of interventions. Your excellency traditional authorities in the northern regional house of chiefs present represent a vast untapped governance resource. We have legitimacy that spans centuries. We have structures that reach every village. We have trust that government sometimes struggles to learn.

[00:24:00]We have conflict resolution mechanisms that predate modern courts. We have land administration system that can facilitate or frustrate development.

[00:24:12]The question is will government engage us as partners or continue to see us merely as ceremonial figures to be consulted occasionally and manage politically.

[00:24:25]We are ready for genuine partnership and today we are outlining what the partners what partnership we would like our commitment to supporting government development project partnership. Your Excellency, the Northern Regional House of Chiefs commits to being active partners in all development efforts in our region from conception to completion.

[00:24:51]Specifically, we commit to a project approval and community consent.

[00:24:57]We would facilitate this would facilitate community consult consultations, address land issues and ensure local buyin site identification and location would work with technical officers to identify optimal project size, resolve land tenor issues and ensure community acceptance.

[00:25:20]Conflict prevention. By involving us early, you prevent the land dispute, chiefty conflict and community resistance that of that often delay or derails projects aspect of implementation, monitoring and spervision. Joint spervision. We commit to establishing joint monitoring committees, traditional authorities and technical offices to oversee project implementation.

[00:25:53]Quality assurance chiefs and elders would monitor whether projects meet specifications, whether contractors are performing and whether timelines are being met.

[00:26:06]This would give us a community feedback and with this concerns about project implementations would be addressed and ensuring issues are addressed before they escalate.

[00:26:22]Your Excellency, completion, verification and commissioning. Independent verification before projects are commissioned will verify that work has been completed accordingly to specifications, not just on paper.

[00:26:40]Community ownership, we all know how essential it is for to use the sense of belongingness to develop a community. will help transition completed projects to communities ensuring proper maintenance structures are in place.

[00:26:59]Sustainability, we would monitor projects utilization and sustainability, reporting challenges to government.

[00:27:09]Your Excellency, I know we have a lot we are reading a lot. Um, I've always given you the time when you come on campaign, but this time you should give us a time so that we'll speak more.

[00:27:39]Your Excellency, we can't touch on all this without going to the education and social mobilization. The Northern Regional House of Chiefs commits to being government's most effective partners in education, promotion, and social mobilization.

[00:27:56]school enrollment campaigns. We will use our traditional platforms there as festivals, community gatherings to promote school enrollment especially for girls.

[00:28:07]We would work to reduce dropout rates by addressing cultural barriers, early marriages and economic pressures that pull children out of school.

[00:28:18]We will provide support to teachers in rural areas, accommodation, security, community integration, making remote postings more attractive.

[00:28:30]Traditional authorities will man will monitor school attendance, infrastructure conditions, and learning outcomes, reporting challenges to education authorities.

[00:28:43]Health promotion would support vacins drives, malaria prevention, family planning, education and maternal health initiatives through community mobilization.

[00:28:57]Your excellency on the area of mental health awareness would help would help reduce stigma around mental health issues and supports the utilization of psychiatric services.

[00:29:13]Substance abuse prevention will lead community- based campaigns against drug abuse, particularly targeting the youth.

[00:29:24]The area of agricultural development where a high percentage of ness are into would organize farmers for government for government agricultural programs.

[00:29:40]Ensuring inputs reach actual farmers would facilitate access to land for commercial agriculture, irrigation projects and agree business ventures.

[00:29:55]We would enforce traditional environmental protection measures and support government forestry and antigalami efforts.

[00:30:08]Your Excellency, community policing would support police and security agencies through community intelligence.

[00:30:20]conflict early warnings and traditional justice systems that complement formal law enforcement.

[00:30:45]Your Excellency, very important is youth engagement.

[00:30:50]It's our responsibility to work close to the government in order to keep the youth productively engaged, reducing their vulnerability to crime, extremism and irregular migration.

[00:31:06]Your Excellency, another area is conflict resolution and peace building.

[00:31:12]The northern region has experienced conflict chiefty disputes, land conflicts, ethnic tensions, farmer header clashes.

[00:31:21]This conflicts development, displace communities and consume government resources.

[00:31:32]Preventive mediation should be used in addressing conflicts before they escalate to violence through traditional mediation mechanism.

[00:31:45]Collaborative solution working with national house of chiefs, regional coordinating councils and security agencies to resolve dispute peacefully.

[00:31:54]Postconlict reconciliation leading genuine reconciliation efforts that address root causes not just suppress symptoms.

[00:32:05]Conflict sensitive development.

[00:32:08]Advising government on development interventions that promote peace rather than exhibate tensions. We recognize that some conflicts require government interventions, but we commit to exhausting traditional resolution mechanisms first and supporting government-led process faithfully.

[00:32:33]Good governance and accountability. The Northern Regional House of Chiefs commit to promoting good governance and accountability.

[00:32:41]Citizen education would would educate our people about their rights and responsibilities, government programs and policies and democratic participation.

[00:32:51]Anti-corruption advocacy would use our moral authority to promote integrity, denounce corruption and support accountability mechanisms.

[00:33:03]Transparent land administration will work towards transparent documented land allocation processes that reduce disputes and corruption.

[00:33:15]Electoral peace will promote peaceful elections, discourage violence and ensure traditional authority remains nonpartisan even as individual chiefs may have political preferences.

[00:33:31]Your Excellency, critical request for government support. Your Excellency, having allowed our commitments, we now present three critical requests.

[00:34:00]Your Excellency, it's obvious our regalia speaks the load we carry.

[00:34:09]Your Excellency, having outlined our commitments, we now present three critical requests that represent your new needs and partnership opportunities.

[00:34:22]The Bimilia chiefty impass.

[00:34:25]It's sad that this chiefty dispute has fested for years causing periodic violence, loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of people and stall development in the Nanobumba traditional area due to lack of respect for the rule of law.

[00:34:46]Its impact is government projects are delayed or abandoned.

[00:34:52]Youth are recruited into conflict rather than productive activities.

[00:34:58]Women and children bear disproportionate disproportionate burden of displacement and trauma.

[00:35:07]Your Excellency, the 1992 Constitution, the Chieftancy Act 2008 act 759 and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2010 and act 798 outlined a procedure for resolving chiefty disputes in Ghana.

[00:35:29]It will be recalled that Bimila chiefty dispute went through the structures and the various levels of arbitration and was settled.

[00:35:40]However, there's still limited law and order even after Supreme Court's ruling on the matter.

[00:35:51]Your excellency would like you to ensure the implementation of the ruling of the regional and national houses of chiefs and the Supreme Court. Commit to supporting the enskinned overlord of NANU.

[00:36:10]Provide substantial postimplementation support for reconciliation and development. The Northern Regional House of Chiefs commits to supporting governments in the implementation process, leading reconciliation efforts post implementation, ensuring traditional authorities do not undermine the settlement. Your Excellency give us the peace that is needed and development will flow.

[00:36:44]Your exc said there are two other areas of insecurity that needs to be resolved quickly. The issue of Nanong and Caraga districts.

[00:36:54]The resolution of these security issues are now beyond the capabilities of the regional house of chiefs. We humbly seek your intervention in these two districts.

[00:37:09]Our second request is the completion of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs Secretariat.

[00:37:19]Your Excellency, this is so dear to our hearts because we need to enjoy the comforts needed.

[00:37:28]Even with all the comforts at the presidency, we are sweating. So how much more the regional house of chiefs the northern regional house of chiefs has been under construction for nearly a decade and has been and has yet to be completed.

[00:37:46]We operate from inadequate facilities that do not reflect the dignity of our institution or provide the suitable space needed for our functions.

[00:37:58]A proper secretariat is not luxury. It is operational necessity. It will provide dignified space for meetings of paramount chiefs. House archives of traditional records, judgments and historical materials. Offer offices for administrative staffs. Create space for receiving government officials and development partners.

[00:38:24]Serve as conflict resolution. Revenue symbolizes government's respect for traditional authority.

[00:38:32]We request that you ensure the contractor to complete the construction of the full furnishing of the northern regional house of chiefs secretariat building.

[00:38:45]Once completed this secret this secretariat will serve as coordination hub for the partnership we are proposing today. housing, housing the Lison offices, hosting joint meetings with governments and servicing and serving as base for monitoring development projects across the region.

[00:39:31]Your excellency the third request and let's not be scared but that's the last it has to do with completion of development projects.

[00:39:44]If I mean to be specific, I would be reading for long. But knowing how much you have the development of the north at heart, I would just I'll just take it by it topic by it headings. We have the psychiatric hospital at MI which uh chiefs would like you to uh complete it.

[00:40:13]And this would address the psychiatric problems rather than moving our youth that have already been trapped with drugs and are in this uh uh level of uh psychiatric problems.

[00:40:34]Your Excellency, security updates from the northern region uh would like formalized collaboration structure to be established.

[00:40:46]Halfy yearly presidential engagements.

[00:40:49]The president or vice president meets every 6 months with northern regional house of chiefs to review progress, address challenges and strengthen partnership.

[00:41:00]Ministerial sector leons each relevant ministry education, health, agriculture, roads, energy and many more ministry designates a a director level officer as Leison to Northern Regional House of Chiefs.

[00:41:23]capacity building for traditional authorities, workshops, resources, technical supports. I believe if the regional house of chiefs is put to shape, all this would fix accordingly.

[00:41:40]Conclude, your excellency, we are proposing today is not we are propo we are proposing today is not novel. It is a return to Ghana's best governance governance traditions where traditional and modern authorities collaborated rather than competed. The first president of Ghana, Drwam Chroma, worked with traditional authorities on local development despite ideological differences.

[00:42:12]Ghana Ghana's development in the 1960s benefited from this collaboration.

[00:42:20]We saw how much the country benefited from this >> when you took over in 2012 and this your second coming. We are hoping that what you started would be completed.

[00:42:42]On behalf of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, I assure you of our loyalty to the Republic of Ghana, our respect for constituted authority, our commitment to peace and development, and our readiness to work with your government for the prosperity of northern region and northern Ghana. Uh we must also recommend the president for picking some of our able men with the knowledge to work under his government. We want more. We are not saying we don't have more but if you give us more we will take. So thank you very much for honoring them the ministerial positions.

[00:44:03]Your excellency, this is the only time chiefs will not say you are holding them for long. That's because our issues are far too many. I would end here your excellency and we thank you for your reign. Long live the Republic of Ghana.

[00:44:18]Long live the northern region and may God bless our homeland Ghana.

[00:44:39]Hallelujah.

[00:45:08]I am Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[00:45:44]Thank you.

[00:45:47]Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[00:45:53]Thank you. your royal highness and dasa for the wonderful statement that you have made. I am sure the president has taken very good note of all the points that you have made.

[00:46:08]Ladies and gentlemen, it's now my honor and distinguished pleasure to invite his excellency the president of the republic of Ghana and commander-in-chief of the Ghana armed forces John Drammani Mahama to address us. Shall we welcome Mr. President?

[00:46:51]your Royal Highnesses, members of the Nordin Regional House of Chiefs, uh senior government officials and let me proceed on the protocol that has already been established for the sake of time.

[00:47:12]It is with profound respect and sincere gratitude that I welcome your royal highnesses and distinguished members of the northern regional house of chiefs to the presidency this afternoon.

[00:47:27]Your royal highnesses, I thank you deeply for your thoughtful candid and visionary address.

[00:47:33]Your remarks have elevated this engagement beyond just a ceremonial courtesy call.

[00:47:42]Today's interaction has demonstrated statesmanship.

[00:47:47]It has demonstrated foresight and an uncommon commitment to partnership in national development.

[00:47:55]Indeed, as um my father Bimilana said, you've come just not to make requests, but to extend the hand of partnership to government in successfully administering this country and creating prosperity and progress for our people.

[00:48:15]As you said, you did not merely come to present requests. You came with proposals for collaboration, shared responsibility and co-ownership of development outcomes and that spirit you came with deserves commendation. I thank you very much.

[00:48:34]I've listened carefully to your message and I wish to assure you that this government recognizes the indispensable role of traditional authority in nation building.

[00:48:47]For far too long, governments across Africa have underutilized one of the continent's most enduring institutions that is traditional leadership.

[00:48:57]And yet chiefs are the ones who remain closest to the people.

[00:49:03]You understand the local realities and you command legitimacy that is rooted in history, culture and trust.

[00:49:12]You possess conflict resolution mechanisms that have been refined over centuries.

[00:49:18]and most importantly your mechanisms most importantly remain custodians of the social cohesion upon which development depends.

[00:49:29]Indeed, no government can successfully implement its development agenda in our communities without the cooperation and partnership of the traditional authorities.

[00:49:42]Your royal highnesses, your proposition that government must move from occasional consultations with you to extracted partnership is both timely and necessary. And I fully agree with you.

[00:49:59]Under our national reset agenda, we are seeking a governance model that is participatory, accountable, decentralized, and people centered.

[00:50:10]Traditional authorities are critical to achieving this vision.

[00:50:15]I therefore welcome your commitments in the area of project monitoring, social mobilization, educational advocacy, conflict prevention, environmental protection, and community accountability.

[00:50:31]Indeed, just yesterday, cabinet was meeting to consider government's response to the constitutional review committee uh report. We didn't get to the aspect of chief tensy but I'm anxious to see what amendments have been put there because before the whole process started I had advocated that the national house of chiefs should make representation so that they'll be captured in the amendments to the constitution to give chiefs a greater role in terms of uh local administration and so this your presentation is very timely. It will guide cabinet when we look at the constitutional review implementation committee report.

[00:51:19]Your proposals for joint monitoring of development projects is particularly important. One of the greatest frustrations of our people is the gap between projects that are announced and projects that are completed, between funds allocated and value delivered. If chiefs and community leaders become active partners in monitoring mechanisms, monitoring implementation, we will significantly improve transparency, accountability and quality assurance.

[00:51:49]And I'm sure that this is something we can work on together with the local uh administration that is the district assemblies that traditional rulers and district assemblies together occasionally meet to review the progress of work on development programs within your traditional areas and within the district. I'm therefore directing the minister for local governments and the minister is here to create a framework where traditional rulers and district assemblies can meet occasionally to review the progress of work on critical infrastructure that government is undertaking in your various traditional areas and districts.

[00:52:35]There should be regular coordination meetings, project monitoring mechanisms where the district assemblies, district chief executives and the traditional rulers physically go to the site of uh development projects to review the state of work and monitor the progress. There should be designated lousen arrangements as proposed by your royal majesty.

[00:53:00]Only a few weeks ago, during my accounting to the people tour of the northern region, I had the opportunity to engage directly with communities across the region. I visited development projects. I listened to concerns from chiefs, youth, farmers, traders, religious leaders, and ordinary citizens, and I witnessed both the immense potential and the pressing development needs of the region.

[00:53:25]The northern region remains central to Ghana's transformation agenda. The region is strategically positioned to become a major agricultural production hub under the 24-hour economy initiative and the accelerated export development program, a center for agrop processing and agri business, a logistics and trade corridor for the Sahel and a key driver of food security and exports. And this is not something new because we all know when we were growing up that uh And I love the two factory. we know the Nasia rice factory and all that and these all contributed to food security in Ghana.

[00:54:36]And so we want to capture that vision again. One of the major investments you're going to make in the uh pro program uh that is taking over from the extended credit facility that has just ended today and today you've come at a very auspicious occasion because we've concluded the IMF program and we're moving into the policy coordinating instruments and in the policy coordinating instrument we're creating space for the investment of 1% % of GDP in key areas and one of the areas that has been identified is commercial agriculture and the northern region has vast arable lands to host uh large scale agriculture and so northern region will be one of the main beneficiaries including agroprocessing and agro business and so this is why our government is prioritizing investment in roads, irrigation, education, healthcare, energy access and local industrialization across the northern region. Work is already progressing on critical road corridors, including rehabilitation and upgrading of trunk roads, linking farming communities to markets. We're expanding rural electrification and investing in water systems. Indeed, just to mention a few of the projects that we are undertaking.

[00:56:04]Um these would include already the 300 transformer um replacement program that I visited when I went to the northern region. It is well underway and you'll find that in many of your communities the old transformers are being taken off and new higher capacity transformers are being replaced. Aside from that, we have signed the agreements and the ministry of education will soon start the star J project. This is going to be investments in the education sector, especially the secondary uh school sector so that we end the double track system because we set a target that by the end of 2027, no school in Ghana should be running double track.

[00:56:52]And so we're going to expand classrooms, lecture halls, uh dometry blocks in existing schools in order that we can accommodate as many students as possible.

[00:57:05]This will also include improving category B schools into category A and then category C schools into category B so that our children can have better learning outcomes in in the various schools. And so that's a project we're going to uh begin with the agenda 111 hospitals. Um I don't think it was a very prudent idea to start 111 hospitals at the same time. At least they should have been phased out you know but some at foundation level even some of them people took the mobilization and never went to sight. Yoko is going after them.

[00:57:46]But what government has decided is that 35 that were almost near completion, government this year is going to uh put money in and continue them and complete them and then adequate provision will be made in the next budget to declare another batch of them. But we're also intro um inviting the faith-based organizations that run hospitals to adopt some of the hospitals that they think they can complete and bring into operation. And so that's is going on.

[00:58:19]We also as um your royal highness mentioned are building a new cardio center in the teaching hospital. In the whole of the five northern regions, there is no cardio center. And so any persons who had strokes or heart attacks or any cardiac incidents had to either come to Kumasio or Ara for treatment at great cost to themselves and their family. And so we're citing a new cardio center in Tamil so that it will serve the entire uh five northern regions for people who have cardiovascular uh diseases. As for roads, you can see the contractors working already uh in many areas. This is the first batch of the big push. There's a second batch that we are uh bringing on stream and so if your road is not being worked on yet, it doesn't mean that we're not coming there. We'll soon uh award them on contract and you'll find contractors working on them. Two other important projects we are about to start. We are moving to the procurement stage is a Tamil water system and the Yindi water uh system. Um with the Tamil water system the intention is to build a new uh pumping station at Yappi on the white vult and produce about 30 million gallons of water for the Tamil metropolis.

[00:59:45]Yendi would also have a new pumping station on the river Dhaka to produce uh fresh water for Yendi. There are other small town water systems that are going to happen that I cannot uh mention all of them.

[01:00:02]So we're working under the feed Ghana program also and the broader agricultural transformation strategy to scale up support for farmers through mechanization services irrigation expansion improve seed distribution and aggregation systems to support commercial agriculture. This involves the setting up of farmer service centers. I spoken about these service centers uh many times. the northern region is going to get its fair share of the centers and in these farmer service centers we're going to have all the agricultural equipment for commercial agriculture and so farmers who want to engage in agriculture can go and register at the center you'll be provided with plowing services harrowing uh planting of your seed uh boom sprayers to spray your uh chemicals and all that and there'll be combined harvesters for mazize for rice and so when it's time to harvest you go to your center and they'll come with a machine and harvest your rice or your maze for you. They will also have storage facilities and so if you're not yet ready to store to sell your product, they will have a dryer. They'll dry your maze or your rice and then they'll store it. Whenever you're ready to send it to the market, you come, they'll bag it for you and you take your product to the market.

[01:01:20]Let me address the issues you categorize as requests and the first is the bibl bimila chieft tensy matter. Um this issue has lingered for too long and haso imposed enormous social and economic cost on the people of Nanu and the wider northern region. As president, I fully appreciate the importance of lasting peace in Bimila, not only for the affected communities but for regional stability and development. Government remains committed to working with the National House of Chiefs, the Nordin Regional House of Chiefs, security agencies, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that lawful processes and settled decisions are respected and implemented in a manner that promotes peace, reconciliation, and stability.

[01:02:08]And so, let me assure you, your royal highness, that we'll continue to pursue dialogue, reconciliation, and sustainable peace building efforts in the Nanung area. Peace is the first infrastructure of development. Without peace, roads, schools, hospitals, and investments cannot flourish.

[01:02:28]I also fully agree that the secretariat of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs is not merely an administrative structure, but an important institutional facility deserving of completion.

[01:02:39]Traditional institutions must be accorded the dignity and operational support necessary for them to perform their constitutional and development responsibilities effectively. I've therefore taking note of your request regarding the completion and furnishing of the secretariat building and I'll ask the relevant ministries and agencies to review the project status and provide government with an implementation road map towards its speedy completion.

[01:03:08]Your royal highness, your concerns regarding mental health and substance abuse are deeply valued and timely. The growing drug abuse crisis amongst our youth requires urgent national attention. The abuse of traumador and other narcotic substances is destroying lives is dab destabilizing families and is undermining community security.

[01:03:32]Mental health can no longer remain a neglected area of public policy and I urge our traditional leaders to become involved in the fight against drug abuse. I believe that in your um traditional areas if you work with the youth groups and the police force and set up task forces to identify the distributors. The users are the victims and so there's no need attacking somebody who uses it and beating him.

[01:04:00]He's a victim of those who profits from the drug trade. And so we know these people live amongst us. They take delivery of bulk supplies of tramodol and they sell them to our children. We must identify these people and root them out so that we can stop the supply of these drugs within our traditional areas. And so I call on the chiefs to work with the youth groups in your traditional areas and the Ghana Police Service so that we can identify those who are responsible for the supply of these narcotic drugs and uh deal with them.

[01:04:40]The completion of the psychiatric hospital in Mong is therefore an important intervention not only for the northern region but for all the five northern regions. There's no psychiatric hospital in all the five northern regions and so this is a government priority.

[01:04:55]I've asked the minister of minister for health to review the current status of the project including funding, staffing requirements and operational needs with a view to prioritizing its completion.

[01:05:06]But as you rightly noted, infrastructure alone is not enough. Community sensitization, early intervention, stigma reduction and rehabilitation support are equally important and I welcome the Northern Regional House of Chief's commitment to partner with government in this effort.

[01:05:27]I was particularly encouraged by your emphasis on education, especially girl child education and school retention. No region can transform itself without investing in human capital. Education remains the greatest equalizer and the strongest weapon against poverty.

[01:05:44]The government's investment in teacher training, STEM education, technical and vocational education, and school infrastructure will continue to prioritize underserved communities, particularly in the northern region.

[01:05:57]We count on traditional leaders to help us confront harmful social practices that affect educational outcomes including child marriage, absenteeism and school dropout rates.

[01:06:11]I also wish to commend members of the northern regional house of chiefs for your commitment to peace building and conflict prevention.

[01:06:19]Dagong itself stands today as a powerful symbol that even the most difficult conflict can be resolved through courage, leadership, patience, and collective commitment to peace. The restoration of peace in Dagbon remains one of the proudest examples of what Ghana can achieve when traditional authority, the state, eminent personalities and communities work together in good faith. That experience should continue to inspire our efforts to resolve conflicts in other parts of the country.

[01:06:53]As president, I firmly believe that Ghana's development cannot be driven from a cry alone. National transformation must be rooted in communities and anchored in local participation.

[01:07:04]And that is why decentralization, accountability, and citizen engagement remain central pillars of our governance approach. And that is why your proposal for a new partnership model between government and traditional authority is both welcome and necessary.

[01:07:22]Let me assure you that this government does not see chiefs just as ceremonial figures to be consulted occasionally. We see traditional authorities and strategic partners in governance, peace building, social mobilization and development. The reset agenda must therefore include resetting the relationship between the state institutions and traditional leadership.

[01:07:45]Your royal highnesses, distinguished chiefs, I wish to thank you for your patriotism, your wisdom and your constructive engagement. I assure you that the doors of this government will remain open to the northern regional house of chiefs at all times. Together, let us build a northern region that is peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, and transformational.

[01:08:06]Together, let us build a Ghana where development is not concentrated in a few urban centers, but reaches every region, every district, and every community. And together, let us leave future generations a stronger, more united, and more prosperous nation. May God bless the Northern region. May God bless our traditional authorities. And may God bless our homeland, Ghana. I thank you.

[01:08:43]Thank you.

[01:08:46]Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[01:08:51]Thank you.

[01:09:01]Thank you.

[01:09:07]Thank you. Thank you very much.

[01:09:15]Thank you.

[01:09:22]Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. President, for that wonderful statement.

[01:09:29]Thank you.

[01:09:31]As we draw closer to the end of this program, may I now invite the Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Tamil South Constituency, the Honorable Harunu to deliver the vote of thanks.

[01:10:06]I'm not a victim.

[01:10:30]president.

[01:10:34]President Yes, sir.

[01:11:23]Jeremiah.

[01:11:25]JEREMIAH.

[01:11:41]CONNECT.

[01:12:10]This one is for the president. So those of you who can dance And now and now you're going to Oh god.

[01:13:13]Go.

[01:13:30]Excellency chief of staff minister.

[01:13:41]Your Excellency President John Raman Mahama, you have taxed me and paramount chief of the Bimla traditional area. On behalf of President Mahama and the NDC government, the president wants to register his profound gratitude to the traditional leaders and rulers of Northern region for coming to express gratitude and to congratulate him and to appreciate him.

[01:14:29]foreign.

[01:14:54]that this is a president who will honor and respect Ghana's time testers tested traditions and culture. President Mouhamad be assured will do that for you.

[01:15:08]And now whilst you were speaking you use you use the words manage chiefs.

[01:15:16]President Muhammad rejects that that is not the partnership or relationship he wants with traditional rulers. He said it himself that he wants an enduring partnership based on mutual respect and mutual partnership. And therefore he's not going to be one of those presidents whose is to manage chiefs. No, he's setting the agenda and he has set the agenda and then excellency John Mama has asked me to convey to you that in your in every corner of your traditional authority where your authorities extend you would see his footprint.

[01:16:11]in every aspect of the lives of your people whether agriculture, education or health.

[01:16:30]Excellency that under his leadership, under the reset of the economy. Today, Ghana and his government, there was a three-year credit agreement, external credit agreement with the IMF. It ends today and it is his promise and trust as president that this will be Ghana's last IMF bail out request and that he will he will work to sustain the gains that we have made as an economy. He has worked to stabilize the economy. The city has appreciated and inflation will have achieved this inflation.

[01:17:50]and that centers Mr. Present when you mention Tamil Yendi I can testify that yesterday when the commencement letter went to the honorable to foren I was in copy so even before Mr. President spoke. I was trying to reach him and the president said it.

[01:18:56]Sorry, Deputy IGP.

[01:19:08]unifor now. So, so distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my tax is done is to on behalf of President John Raman Mahama express gratitude to the gallant royal leaders of the Northern Region House of Chiefs.

[01:20:03]There's only one And to the media, President Mama you can trust. And when he said he is doing his reset, he said he will reset Ghana in four important departments. He will reset the economy.

[01:20:33]He has he will reset infrastructure.

[01:20:36]Commencement of work have commenced on big push and other agricultural and health infrastructure.

[01:20:42]Then last one, the president again in thanking you said that he is talking about constitutional review. So under President Mama, Ghana will witness its most comprehensive constitutional, legal and administrative review when he's done with his cabinet engagement with on the propositions of the constitutional review. In fact, I'm not sure I have his permission to say it, but yesterday the president's thinking was that expand parliament, reserve se for traditional rulers, for youth and for young people. In your words, Mr. President, you said proportional representation that would give room for women and youth. It is part of his thought so that an external parliament will do that.

[01:21:34]So, brother Thank you.

[01:22:21]Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[01:22:27]Thank you very much. THANK YOU.

[01:22:32]THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

[01:22:34]Thank you.

[01:22:43]Thank you.

[01:23:04]Thank you, honorable minister. May I now request that we all rise as we observe the national anthem. Please rise.

[01:23:19]Yeah.

[01:23:27]Heat.

[01:24:05]Thank you very much. We shall now have the photo session. May I request our paramount chiefs?