Ms Paulina Tangoba Abayage,Minister designate for Upper East Region
UPPER East Regional Minister designate, Paulina Patience Abayage, is hoping to change the narrative of the region by the end of her stewardship.
Ms Abayage said the region has been in the news for the bad reasons in the past, and that a new image was needed to boost its growth.
She was answering questions by the Parliamentary Vetting Committee, chaired by Joseph Osei-Owusu, in Accra yesterday.
The Regional Minister designate said she was hoping to remove the poverty, disease and conflict tags around the neck of the region, so that the rest of the world would rather realise the beauty of the region.
“By the time I leave office, I would want the Upper East to be on the world map for good reasons. The narrative of the Upper East must change,” she emphasised.
Ms Abayage stressed that she would work to portray the peaceful nature of the people, its rich culture and many tourist sites and investment opportunities, adding that it would help change the socio-economic development of the people.
She pledged to work with all stakeholders and build on the achievements and works of her predecessors in improving the development of the region.
On ensuring equal opportunities for all, Ms Abayage who until her nomination was Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy, said gender parity in the region had almost been achieved on the education front.
She said the region had come a long way in bridging the gender parity gap and she would not rest on here oars if approved as minister by Parliament.
“Gender parity has been reached in almost every school in the region,” Ms Abayage indicated.
According to her, the region has chalked success in the fight against socio-cultural beliefs, which have been a scar on the region over the decades.
“Child marriage has reduced to the barest minimum. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is almost none-existent. It is almost eliminated.
“In the past, you see girls walking to you asking to have the FGM performed on them, but now the narrative has changed. Parents have become aware of the effects of it, and the girls have also been educated,”she told the Appointments Committee.
On infrastructural need of the region, Ms Abayage identified the poor road network of the area, and said a massive intervention would be made during her tenure.
Achieving all these, she said would depend on the cordial relationship between the various municipal and district chief executives, and the Members of Parliament in the region.
Ms Abayage urged the chiefs and people in the region to support her if approved by Parliament to bring development to the region.
She said it was critical for the local authorities and lawmakers to build bridges and end decades rift between them as a result of power struggle, for the good of the people.
The deputy ministers designate for the Brong-Ahafo and Eastern regions respectively, Martin Oti Gyarko and Samuel Nuertey Ayertey also faced the committee.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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