Senior citizens in the northern region have appealed to city the authorities for a recreational center for them to exercise their bodies. The senior citizens said proving them with the center will enable them exercise their bodies regularly to live in a healthier lives and also keep them fit to avoid any fitness diseases.
The recreational center according to the senior citizens will also bring them together to deliberate on current developmental issues affecting the region and make inputs towards how best to address challenges facing the people in the north.
The senior citizens consist retire educationist, politicians, health workers, security personnel among others who have dedicated their lives and work tirelessly towards the development of Ghana since independent.
They were sharing their experiences at the 53rd Republic day celebration to honor senior citizens in the northern regional coordinating council on Monday. Some of the senior citizens appealed to government to have a second look at the health status of the elderly.
The senior citizens say even though they have been covered under national health insurance scheme, their healthcare needs to be taken seriously by government. On the behavior of current generation, they expressed worry over the behavior and attitude of some youth in the society.
They lament about people’s attitude towards sanitation in Tamale and called on the youth to cultivate the habit of proper sanitation practices. Addressing the senior citizens, the Northern Regional Minister, Bede Ziedeng commended them for their contribution towards the development of the country.
He said it is their collective contribution during their working days as public, civil servants, politicians, traders and farmers that has brought Ghana to this far in its developmental efforts. The current generation the minister said cannot lose sight of the sacrifices senior citizens made and commitment shown what endeavor they were engaged in.
Mr Bede Ziedeng said it’s unfortunate that some of the youth are unable to make use of the opportunities today which clearly were far better years ago when those opportunities were virtually absent and urged the senior citizens to share their experiences with the young ones so as to enlighten them on the values of sacrifice and hard work.
The Minister expressed concerns over what he describes as rising indiscipline especially on the roads. He mentioned wrongful overtaken on the streets, insults on the airwaves disrespect of the authority and elderly and even cheating in our religious cycles. ’’Indiscipline is so pervasive that it has virtually part of our normal live’’ he lamented.
Mr Bede Ziedeng regretted that indiscipline is not just associated with only the youth but some elderly in the society which he said is mot regrettable. As the Ghana marks republic day, the minister called on Ghanaians to a hard look at the unfortunate trend for the resurrection of discipline in the society for respect of authority.
Touching on the degradation of the environment, he blamed the situation on indiscipline. ’’Those things are taken place just as a result of indiscipline; permit me to say and with due respect, even some of chiefs and opinion leaders in our communities are engaging in indiscipline; Mr Bede Ziedeng added’’.
“If a chief knows what he is doing is not for the lager interest of the community that amounts to indiscipline; the minister stated’’.
The northern regional minister assured the senior citizens of government focus in building the better Ghana and will therefore implement policies and programs to make live more easily for the citizenry.
He announced that, government has set aside 70 million Ghana cedis for the commencement of 50 senior high schools as the first phase of two hundred community senior high schools to be constructed throughout the country.
Government he said was at the verge of completing procurement process for the award of contract for the rehabilitation of four hundred boreholes in the northern region.
In addition, one hundred and forty KIVP are also to be constructed across the northern region to help improved sanitation. On agriculture, Mr Bede Ziedeng said government will continue to seek the use of technology to improve food production with Savannah Accelerated (SADA) Development Authority playing the major role in that direction.
Government, he added has been given out 68 tractors to service providers who are located in all the districts in the northern region this year. ’’Since my arrival as a minister I have been inundated request for the purchase for tractors and stated that the 68 tractors are not for purchase, they are to provide services for famers in the region; Mr Bede Ziedeng adds’’.
