Naba Kosomo Lebge Serum-Tinganbila-Lebge Goo, the Chief of Yorogo, a community in the Bolgatanga Municipality, has appealed to the Municipal Assembly to extend some projects under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO) to his area. 'We have heard about the SOCO project and will want to remind the Assembly that Yorogo has challenges with school infrastructure, CHPS compounds, roads, and difficulties with access to water for some areas, which should be considered,' he said. He said the people of Yorogo were building a library complex and so needed the intervention of the Assembly to complete the structure through the SOCO project. The SOCO project is a multi-country US$450 million credit facility from the World Bank be implemented in Ghana, Benin, Togo and Cote d' Ivoire. The government of Ghana received US$150 million out of the total sum to implement the project in 48 Districts in the Upper East, Northern, Savannah, North East, Oti and Upper West Regions. Naba Kosomo Lebge Se rum in his address at this year's Tigsitaaba festival celebration in the community, appealed to the Assembly to consider his community for some of the projects. The festival, which was the fifth edition, was on the theme: 'Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Development: The Role of Festivals,' and brought together the sons and daughters of Yorogo to unite and discuss major issues of concern to them, and work to propel development in the area. 'As we gather to mark the fifth edition of the Tigsitaaba festival under the theme, I want us to keep reminding ourselves that this festival was instituted to serve as a forum for all of us to discuss major development issues and to unite all Yeriba. 'A community that cannot unite to celebrate, reflect, make decisions, and foster peaceful coexistence is naked and lacks direction,' the chief, who is a retired educationist, said. Naba Kosomo Lebge Serum condemned the recent fracas which led to the murder of a 22-year-old young man and the arrests of some people by the Police in the just ended District Level Election (DLE) in his area. 'I condemn the recent events that took place during the District Level Election, leading to the death of an energetic young man,' he said. He was hopeful that the youth in the community would learn from the 'unfortunate happenings,' and the arrests of individuals involved, and desist from actions that would tarnish the image of the community. He commended the Ghana Police Service for the improved security along the Yorogo stretch of the Bolgatanga-Bongo Road and appealed to the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to extend streetlights to the community. The chief admonished the youth to be responsible in all their dealings, eschew alcoholism, reckless driving, and riding of motorbikes, other forms of vices, and insisted that 'We must take education or learning a trade seriously if we will make progress as individuals and as a community.' He urged community members to invest the needed energy and resources to safeguard the festival, and make su re it outlived their generation, noting that?'It is only at that point we can look back with joy that we indeed left a legacy. 'I hope that the youth will take a keen interest in the organization of the festival and actively participate in all activities. Festivals for the African, form part of our identity and for the people of Yorogo, Tigsitaaba remains our identity. One, we need to wholeheartedly protect,' he said. Dr Ayimbire Abonuusum, the Chairman of the Festival Committee in a speech read on his behalf, said the festival for the past five years, had succeeded in promoting peaceful coexistence among community members. That, he said made it possible for them to start the uphill task of building a one-storey library and ICT complex, which was at the decking level, and disclosed that about GH? 139,000 had so far been spent on the project. He said a total of about GH? 500,000 was required to complete the ground floor, 'This, obviously, is beyond the capacity of Yeriba. Therefore, we are pleading with th e Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, and individuals to assist us,' he appealed. Source: Ghana News Agency