The Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, the Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area in the North East Region, has entreated pupils in the Region to take their studies seriously to grow up to be responsible citizens.
He said majority of the pupils and students in the area would be the future leaders of the Region and Ghana if they took their studies seriously.
The Nayiri gave the advice through his linguist when he chaired the 63rd Independence Day Celebration held at Nalerigu, the North East Regional capital on the theme: “Consolidating our gains.”
The celebration brought together 120 security service personnel drawn from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Fire Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Prison Service and 20 schools from Primary, SHS and Tertiary institutions including; heads of departments, dressmakers, hairdressers and members of the public.
The Independence parade was the first Regional Independence celebration since the area gained Regional status last year.
Naa Sheriga told the students that “You must do away with drugs and alcohol which have the tendency of ruining lives quickly. You must make sure that we reap the maximum benefit of the Free SHS as we look up to you as the future leaders, and you cannot fail us.”
The Chief also called on all stakeholders in the development of the Region to help it realise its dreams and aspirations as a new Region and urged all citizens to support the Regional Minister and his team with the needed cooperation to achieve their aim.
Mr Solomon Namlit Boar, the North East Regional Minister, noted that education was the pivot around which every facet of development evolved, “Therefore as a new Region, we should leave no stone unturned to ensure that our children are equipped with the requisite skills to enable them assume the mantle of leadership in the near future.”
He said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would work to ensure that all Municipal and District Assemblies took keen interest in the education service delivery of the Region.
Mr Boar, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bunkpurugu Constituency, said the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) performance in the area was not too bad as schools in the Region, especially in the Gambaga Municipality recorded 98 per cent in the BECE Performance in 2017, 75 per cent in 2018 and 87.2 per cent in 2019.
