Northern Regional Minister Worried Over Indiscipline Among Youth

N/R Minister

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Lemuna has raised serious concern about the way majority of the youth in Tamale and for that matter Northern Region are increasingly becoming indiscipline, disrespectful and unruly by the day. 

He said that the youth of the region were almost going out of control and charged all traditional, religious and opinion leaders to find ways of dealing with the situation.

The Minister virtually lost his disposition and his usual gentlemanly posture, when he mounted the podium to address a durbar of chiefs and people of the Northern Region to mark the celebration of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) in Tamale.

The Youth of the region indeed are fast gaining notoriety for attacking chiefs and other people in authority, chasing away and sometimes beating up Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as well as locking up offices and seizing official vehicles and bungalows of government officials among other barbaric behaviours.

Against this backdrop, Alhaji Lemuna who somewhat blamed the traditional rulers and other people in authority in the region for condoning such boisterous behaviours for some time now, emphatically stated that he would never tolerate such acts so far as he remained the Regional Minister.

According to him, it was time the leaders of the region woke up to boldly speak against the youth for becoming so unruly and disrespectful in society. “We know that those of us in Northern Region were brought up to respect our elders and people in authority. But what do we see these days? I was instructed by the President John Dramani Mahama to settle a dispute between some youth in Gambaga-Nalerigu constituency and their District Chief Executive. I was in this meeting from 12 noon to 6:00pm only to see some youth led by two guys entering the meeting hall to come and attack me. If our youth have grown horns to the level of going to attack Regional Minister in his residence, who knows who will be next be attacked. This is not the first time and this must stop. If we are producing children that we cannot control, children who do not respect Ministers, DCEs and traditional rulers and other people in authority then we must begin to be worried”.

Alhaji Lemuna therefore vowed to deal with any rowdy youth who would attempt to break the laws.

On the other hand, the Northern Regional Minister called on the private sector to partner the government to exploit and develop the creative arts and tourism industry to create more employment for the youth.

He said that government was ready to support all the youth engaged in the production of hand-woven smocks, leather works and other art works in the region.

This year's NAFAC which is being celebrated on a regional basis is on the theme: "Creative Arts and Tourism Industry: A Platform for National Development." It is being supported by MTN Cultural Fest under the caption MTN Savannah Fest 2014. 

The Northern Region is abound with a lot of tourist sites including the popular Mole Game Reserve, Nalerigu Defense Wall, Salaga Slave Market, the Mystic Stone and the 13th Century Mosque at Larabanga among others.