The Paramount Chief of the Ullo Traditional Council in the Upper West Region, Ullo-Naa Alhaji Baburonon Amadu Seidu II, has installed President Akufo-Addo as ‘Zinal Naa’ to wit ‘Developmental Chief’, in recognition of his development-oriented programmes since assuming the reins of leadership in the country.
The installation took place when the President and some members of his government paid a courtesy call on the Ullo-Naa at his Palace at Ullo as part of activities to climax his three-day working tour of the Upper West Region.
Ullo-Naa remarked: “The people of Ullo have gotten a new friend in the person of your Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and therefore install him as the ‘Developmental Chief’.”
The chief pleaded with their ‘newfound friend’ to pay some attention to the Ullo Senior High School and the Ullo Clinic both of which deserve to be upgraded to be able to meet the increasing educational and health demands of the people of the Ullo Traditional Area and surrounding communities.
He also wants their road network improved and new Feeder roads created to open up Ullo and also link it to other surrounding communities.
On the Free SHS policy, the chief and his people pleaded with the government to work hard to overcome the teething challenges in the implementation of the policy for the sake of many poor families across the country.
According to the Paramount Chief, many families are now hopeful that their children would not end their education at the Junior High School level because of their inability to raise money for fees at the Senior High School level.
He said: “You have indirectly put thousands of cedis into parents’ pockets with the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy, which is a blessing to my people. Now parents who could not send their children to the Senior High School can now do so because of this good initiative. … I leave you with the wise saying that, ‘it is only a fool who remains sitting in the sun instead of moving into the shade.’ The people of Ullo are not fools. My good self, my divisional chiefs and my people are ready to partner your government to carry out your flagship programmes to improve the lives of my people.”
Ullo-Naa Seidu II called on the President to intervene to get a new district or constituency carved out of the current Jirapa Municipality to aid faster development of communities and towns that fall under the Ullo Traditional Area such as Sabuli and Hain divisional areas, as well as communities under the Karni Divisional Area.
Touching on the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, the Paramount Chief commended the government for the initiative and challenged farmers in the Ullo Traditional Area as well as the country to take advantage of the programme to improve on their yield. He advised other workers to also take advantage of the programme to also ensure the food security of their homes.
The Ullo-Naa palace is the home of the late Superior Police Officer Salifu Dagarti, Kwame Nkrumah’s security officer who was shot dead during an assassination attempt on the first president in 1964.
The Deputy CEO of the Zongo Development Fund, Madam Aisha Dagarti is a princess of the Ullo Palace.
FROM: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Ullo