President, John Dramani Mahama, has assured the chiefs and people of the Oti Region that the government is commit­ted to the implementation of major development projects to open up the area for growth.Mr Mahama announced that his govern­ment had started preparations towards the construction of a bridge over the Oti River at Dambai, and work would start on the project before the end of 2025.The President gave the assurance at a durbar of chiefs and people of the Oti Region to mark his "Thank you tour" of the region at the capital Dambai last Friday.Mr Mahama said his administration was determined to remove problems associated with transportation in the region, including the construction of the Nkwanta-Kpassa-Da­manko section of the Eastern corridor road, which would be tackled with the seriousness that it deserves.He also stressed that Dambai -Nkwanta road, Okajakrom-Worawora road in addition to 10 kilometres of roads in each of the nine constituencies of the region would be constructed as part of a national project of construction of 10 kilometres of roads in 166 constituencies in the country.Mr Mahama said records showed that the Oti Region recorded one of the highest typhoid cases in the country, saying even though the region was surrounded by the Oti River and the Volta Lake, the people did not have potable drinking water.He disclosed that the government had decided to provide water systems through the two water bodies to be managed by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), to satisfy the water needs of the people and also promote sound health among the residents.According to the President, the Damanko water system, which broke down over the years would be rehabilitated within 18 months to serve 20 communities, including Kpassa, the District capital.Again, the President said the government would be establishing a regional hospital for the Oti Region and a public university to facilitate the growth of the area.He said the Krachi-East Municipality and the Biakoye District would benefit from an irrigation system to promote agriculture, and urged the youth to take advantage of the op­portunity to embark on farming since it has been shown to be a lucrative business.The President said his administration rec­ognised the important roles chiefs played in local governance, which was why chieftaincy and local governance were linked to using traditional mechanisms and dialogue at the assembly level to resolve disputes and ensure development.Government's development agenda, he explained, could be carried out in a peaceful environment, and appealed to the parties in the Nkwanta South conflict to use dialogue to settle their differences, adding that "our greatest enemy is poverty and not ourselves, therefore let us unite and fight against poverty instead of fighting among ourselves".The President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs (ORHCs) and the Paramount Chief of Likpe, Nana Soglo Alloh, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide two pontoons at Dambai since the current ferry breaks down frequently.The President of the ORHCs said the chiefs and people of the region were so far satisfied with the way the government was handling the economy. FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, DAMBAI