The Oti Regional Minis­ter, Mr Daniel Machator, yesterday stressed the need for effective collabora­tion between municipal, district assemblies (MDAs) and tradi­tional authorities in carrying out development activities in their respective areas.

Chiefs, according to him, played vital roles in mobilising the people for development, which would ensure that government's devel­opment programmes and policies were understood by the people, and would enable them to actively participate in them.

The Regional Minister made the call at Chinder in the Kra­chi- Nchumuru District of the Oti Region to end his four-day familiarisation tour of the region, where he addressed staff of the Assembly, Chiefs and the people.

He also asked staff of the various assemblies to change their attitudes towards work, saying  that the "lackadaisical attitudes" exhibited over the years would not be tolerated any longer, and stressed the need for workers to demonstrate high level of commitment to work in order to increase productivity and promote development.

Mr Machator inspected some ongoing projects including a housing project for the staff of Krachi -Nchumuru and expressed satisfaction about work done so far, and underscored the need for value for money.

The Regional Minister, raised concern about the rising insecu­rity situation in the region which he said was affecting the lives and livelihoods of residents, acknowl­edging that insecurity did not only disrupt economic activities but also hampered social cohesion.

According to Mr Machator, peace was not merely the "ab­sence of conflicts" but a proactive efforts to build understanding and cooperation among diverse groups, and urged residents in the region to use dialogue to resolve their differences amicably.

He further said a peaceful Com­munity was essential for develop­ment, and that development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.

He, therefore, asked resi­dents in the region to coexist with one another to facilitate the need­ed development of the region.

The Krachi- Nchumuru District Chief Executive, Mr Kwesi Ogyile Nkrumah, noted that the Assem­bly was committed to addressing the accommodation challenges confronting workers.

He said the assembly had prioritised the provision of accommodation in order to boost the morale of workers and also attract more skilled staff to the Assembly.  FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, CHINDERI