The Ministry of Trade and Industry is to organise the first ever Northern Investment Forum in Bolgatanga as part of the Upper East Region's 50th anniversary, Mr Mark Woyongo, Regional Minister said.
The Regional Minister, who disclosed this during the "Homecoming of Upper Easterners" held at the weekend in Bolgatanga, said some investors had already been invited to the forum slated for November 5 where each of the nine districts would be given the opportunity to market its potential.
He said the region had a lot of investment potentials and it was therefore hoped that investors would be wooed to invest in the region thereby creating more jobs for the teaming youth and stem the tide of youth migration to the cities in search of menial jobs.
Mr Woyongo said the celebration of the region's golden jubilee had brought a lot of benefits including streetlights, traffic lights and the rehabilitation of the town's roads by government.
He said a Jubilee ICT Training Centre to be affiliated to the Kofi Annan ICT Centre was being provided and the abandoned Bolgatanga Polyclinic would be completed to help ease pressure on the Regional Hospital.
Mr Woyongo expressed concern about the way and manner some people criticised government without offering alternative solutions for improving the situation and appealed to such people to desist from such practices.
He indicated that the Regional Coordinating Council operated an open door policy and would welcome any innovative ideas that could help run the region successfully.
"I am therefore earnestly appealing to all of you gathered here to always feel free and bring up all issues for discussion instead of going on air to make disparaging remarks that do not augur well for the development of our dear region," he stressed.
Mr Woyongo stated that the celebration of the region's 50th anniversary should be used to reflect on the achievement, challenges and solutions to problems that could move the region forward.
He called on the people to bury their differences and to focus on contributing positively for the development of the area.
Mr Nicholas N. Nayembile, a retired educationist, gave a talk on the topic "The Upper East Region - A Historical Perspective," whilst Mr Emmanuel Bombande, Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peace Building, delivered a paper titled, "Peace - A Pre-requisite for Development".