Nana Otuo Siriboe II, the Omanhene of New Juaben and Chairman of the Council of State, has stressed the need to engage the various Regions to better appreciate their development aspirations, concerns and challenges.

This is to enable the Council to be in a better position to advise the government on real-time concerns on social, economic, security and other pertinent issues of national interest and Development.

The Council Chairman said, "We Don't want to give armchair advice and that can only be done when we find time to engage Regional leaders and Communities for the best advice to the government."

Nana Otuo Siriboe II said this when he and his team were officially welcomed by the Western Regional Minster Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah at the Airforce Base in Takoradi to begin a three-day familiarization tour of the Western Region.

The annual initiative of the Council would also help in carefully addressing issues at the decentralized level in the Regions.

Mr Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, was grateful for the visit and said the Region was embarking on several Development programmes to improve living in the future.

He also alluded to the menace of illegal mining and unemployment, which was a matter of concern and prayed the Council to help mitigate its impact.

The Council members will visit the T3 Thermal plant site at Aboadze, the GNPC operational headquarters site in Takoradi and the Gas processing plant site at Atuabo.

They would also undertake field visits to illegal mining sites to appraise themselves of the devastating effects of the menace on the environment, especially forest reserves and water bodies.

They would also hold interactive sessions with members of the Regional coordinating council, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives.