Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, the Upper East Regional Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed confidence that the party will secure an even larger victory in Bolgatanga Central compared to the previous election.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Mr. Salifu emphasized that the focus of politics should always be on development, whether in the form of infrastructure or human development. “Politics is all about development. That is the bottom line. Whether it is infrastructure development or human development, it is development.”
He highlighted an issue in the Bolgatanga Central constituency, accusing the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of obstructing key development initiatives. Mr. Salifu revealed that two memos from the Member of Parliament and NDC Parliamentary Candidate, which include proposals for the desilting of four dams, have been sitting on the MCE’s desk for over a month without approval. The delay, according to Mr. Salifu, is particularly concerning given the importance of these projects to the local communities. “As I speak, I know that the memo from Honourable Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central, has been on the table of the MCE for Bolga, and he has refused to approve it for the past month.”
He also criticized the MCE for not signing off on these memos, suggesting that the refusal may be driven by personal grievances stemming from the 2020 elections. Mr. Salifu noted that the MCE had contested the seat in 2020 but did not win, implying that this could be influencing his decision-making. “I don’t know if he’s angry because they didn’t vote for him when he contested in 2020, which is why he hasn’t signed the memo.”
Furthermore, Mr. Salifu raised concerns about the underpayment of MPs’ Common Fund, which has seen only one-quarter of the funds disbursed this year. He argued that for significant development projects to be realized, the necessary funds must be allowed to accumulate, yet the delay in payments hampers progress. “For the whole of this year, they have been paid only one-quarter of the funds. So, if you want to undertake any monumental project, you need to allow the money to accumulate.”
Mr. Salifu questioned why, despite these challenges, the MCE had not approved even urgent projects like desilting a crucial community dam. He suggested that if the MCE were truly focused on serving the people, they would prioritize such projects, even if it meant leaving office before the elections. “I don’t know how much is in that account today, but even if it is 10 trillion and the man (the MP) says, ‘I want to use it to desilt dams,’ and one of the dams is your (MCE’s) community dam. We shouldn’t be worried even at that time. Even if it’s the dying minute, don’t you think you should be interested in desilting the dam, even if it means leaving office? Don’t you think so?” he asked.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
