Zongos Have Been Neglected-Zongo Minister
The minister for Inner-City and Zongo Development, Abu-bakar Saddique Boniface has observed that development in the country has been discriminatory and skewed in “other areas” to the neglect of the Muslim dominated community, Zongo. A situation according to him has worsened the plight of Muslims in the area.
The minister made this remarks during a stakeholder consultation in Bawku and Bolgatanga respectively in the Upper East region to solicit input for the bill that establishes the Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF).
Acknowledging the contribution the Zongo communities played since independence, the sector minister stated that Zongo communities have not been given the needed attention it deserves in terms of the distribution of the national cake.
“The inner city in particular the Zongo communities have been neglected in terms of development. So this government believes that we must include the excluded. We [Zongo] have been neglected [and] before and after independence to date. Zongos have been neglected but forgetting that Zongos played a very great role in our attainment of independence in this country.”
The current state of the Zongo communities in Ghana reflects poor sanitation, lack of potable drinking water, lack of health facilities, illiteracy, poor road networks, poor and unplanned housing. This manifestation, Mr. Abu-bakar believes the Zongo Development Fund bill when approved and passed by parliament will transform the inner city and the Zongo communities into prosperous, inclusive and sustainably developed communities in the country.
The establishment of the Inner-City and Zongo Development ministry, the first time in the history of Ghana according to the sector minister is in fulfillment of a campaign promise made by the New Patriotic Party during the 2016 electioneering.
Among the priority projects in the 2017 action plan earmarked for the Zongo development fund include education and scholarship support, liquid and solid waste management, livelihood empowerment support, vocational and skills training among others.
The minister prior to the disbursement of the Ghc 219.5 million seed money cautioned potential beneficiaries against misappropriation of the monies.
Mr. Abu-bakar asserted that “this ministry or the Zongo Development Fund is not rhetoric, it is not by convincing you to vote for the NPP, this is the time for you to know that Zongo is an important part of this country… whoever comes after the NPP should not make a mistake to say that he’s scrapping the ministry [and] if he scrap the ministry believe me he is the enemy of the Zongos.”
Some Muslims in the region expressed their happiness over the implementation of the fund.
“Our children have no access to higher education so we are happy that he [minister] said the fund is going to take charge of education” Salawu Hassan, head of electrical department of Bawku Technical Institute stated.
“The Bolga Zongo road network is very bad [and] when this initiative comes I think we should use it to expand our roads” Mohammed Muburak from Atlantic base in Bolgatanga appealed.
Upper East Regional minister, Rockson Bukari appealed to the Zongo community and the region at large to live in harmony for the development of the region.
“Let us look at the few chieftaincy and land disputes in the region and how the harm they have caused. There is also a rising incidents of daylight arm robbery in the region. Let us report them [suspects] to the security agencies so that they can apprehend them.
By: Joshua Asaah|A1radiooneline.com|Ghana
