The construction of the Upper East Regional passport office, which began in 2022 with an initial projected completion within six months, has faced significant delays, sparking widespread concerns within the region.
Addressing issues surrounding the project, the Chairman of BONABOTO, who doubles as a senior lecturer at C.K. Tedam University for Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Dr. Esmond Agurgo Balfour, said the delay in completing such critical infrastructure projects hinders efforts to achieve parity with other parts of the country.
He attributed the delay to what he described as a lack of prioritization of the facility by politicians. According to Dr. Balfour, there appears to be a focus on party interests rather than on advancing regional development.
“I think the major problem boils down to our politicians. It has to do with our politicians. I don’t think our politicians are thirsty enough for the needed development for the region. To some extent, I can say our politicians look too much inward. They love their parties more than development for the people.”
Reflecting on past developmental initiatives, Dr. Balfour pointed out that significant projects were predominantly undertaken during the tenure of late President Jerry John Rawlings. Since then, he expressed disappointment that the Upper East Region has not seen comparable attention or investment in major projects. “All these major developmental projects that I talked about were under the governance of the late Jerry John Rawlings. After that, it is sad to say Upper East has not had any serious or major developmental projects or even been taken seriously by the NDC.”
Dr. Balfour underscored the importance of collective action within the community to advocate for and ensure meaningful development. He urged a shift in attitude towards development, emphasizing the necessity for united efforts to effect tangible improvements. He called on the community to actively support initiatives aimed at advancing regional interests, stating that only through collective action can meaningful change be achieved.
“Until we change our attitude and think that every little push for development for our people needs support; not just thinking that it needs support, but the support must be forthcoming. It is only collectively that we can make a change.”
“It is time to wake up from our sleep, sit up and get working together to change the narrative. I think that is the only way we can make headway,” he added.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga|
