The Upper West regional minister, Hon Charles Lwanga Puozuing Esq earlier today, 27th May, 2026 joined Muslims in the Upper West region to celebrate Eid-UL-Adha.
Speaking at the 2026 Eid-ul-Adha prayers held at Jubilee Park in Wa, Upper West Regional Minister Hon. Charles Lwanga Puozuing issued a sharp call for collective action against crime and indiscipline, urging residents to match public condemnation of wrongdoing with private accountability.
“You cannot be against crime publicly but privately protect criminals,” Hon. Puozuing told a large congregation that included the Overlord of the Waala State, Naa Fuseini Pelpuo IV, the Regional Chief Imam, Yari Naa, and other traditional leaders. The Eid sermon was led by Jamii Imam Alhaji Mankama.
The minister used the occasion — one of Islam’s holiest festivals that commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience and sacrifice — to stress that sacrifice must extend beyond ritual acts to how communities conduct themselves. “Eid-ul-Adha teaches us sacrifice. And one of the greatest sacrifices we must make today is the sacrifice of bad attitudes, selfishness, indiscipline, and silence in the face of wrongdoing,” he said.
Puozuing warned that development cannot be delivered by government alone and admonished citizens who privately seek favours or shelter wrongdoers while publicly decrying crime. He said such double standards undermine efforts to discipline offenders and protect community welfare. “We cannot condemn crime publicly and protect criminals privately,” he said, adding that demanding discipline from leaders while refusing to discipline ourselves is self-defeating.
Turning to the region’s youth, the minister issued an urgent appeal to shun drugs, internet fraud, armed robbery and other social vices. He cautioned that short-term gains from crime come at the cost of long-term destruction for individuals, families and communities. He urged parents, Imams, teachers, chiefs and opinion leaders to collaborate in guiding young people toward “discipline, hard work, integrity, and responsibility.”
“Youth must not allow themselves to be destroyed by drug abuse, petty crimes, armed robbery, internet fraud, violence, and other social vices that threaten the peace and future of our communities,” Puozuing said.
Linking moral behaviour to public health and local pride, the minister lamented a decline in the region’s reputation for cleanliness and order. “There was a time when the Upper West Region was proudly counted among the cleanest and most disciplined places in Ghana,” he noted, urging residents to restore that standing through daily, personal commitment: proper waste disposal, maintained household environs and community-driven sanitation.
“Cleanliness is not the responsibility of government alone. It begins with personal discipline and community responsibility,” he said, calling on every citizen to play their part so the region can again “be one of the cleanest, healthiest, and most attractive regions in Ghana.”
Government programmes and the need for peace
Hon. Puozuing reiterated government commitment to development initiatives — including the Big Push Agenda, infrastructure projects, skills development, agricultural modernization, youth employment and the 24-hour economy policy — but emphasized these gains rely on peace, unity and security. “Sustainable development can only happen where there is peace, discipline, unity, cleanliness, security, and responsible citizenship,” he said.
He also appealed for interfaith harmony, praising the Upper West Region’s tradition of religious tolerance and urging residents to reject hatred, division and extremism.
Charity and compassion
In the spirit of Eid, the minister called for increased support to vulnerable groups — widows, orphans, persons with disabilities and struggling families — describing generosity as central to the festival’s meaning.
The gathering at Jubilee Park drew traditional and religious dignitaries, and the minister closed by praying for blessings on the region and for President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership.
He urged worshippers to leave the celebration with “renewed minds, renewed hearts, and renewed commitment” to build a peaceful, clean, disciplined and economically vibrant Upper West Region.
