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OFFEI’S OPINION: UE Region, A Case Of Glorified Mediocrity

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I studied with keen interest developments as Upper East Region readied to meet the first gentleman of the land, John Dramani Mahama.

The Police were kept busy ensuring that every part of the region is safe for his entry, soldiers were brought in to curtail any confusion, Zoomlion workers who hitherto will perform their duty with apathy were at their best.

Traffic lights that had been off for some weeks were fixed and roads which have been in a deplorable state for years were worked on (Soe-Bongo, Stadium-library roads on my mind). Why? To create a mental picture that the President is ‘working for you’ or to tell the President his appointees are working for him? This, only the “gods” can answer.

The President was scheduled to ‘account to the people’ of Upper East on June 6 but was prevailed upon to postpone his visit to the region because according to some party faithful it was “politically suicidal” for the President to come to a region where there is “nothing” to account for. After some impulse work in some parts of the region, there was clearance for the President to arrive on July 11.

‘Accounting to the people tour’ to my understanding, is an opportunity for the President to account for his stewardship for the power given to him by the good citizens of Ghana. In other regions, John Dramani Mahama commissioned major projects including hospitals, roads, Campuses for Universities, E-learning centres, Community Day Senior High schools; a prove that their leaders have them at heart.

However, the story in the Upper East Region was the converse of what happened in some parts of the country. The President’s program was dominated by inspection of yet-to-be completed projects, paying courtesy calls on chiefs who he had already promised developmental projects but had failed to deliver and addressing students who did not seem to be abreast of their needs and thought a school bus was all they could ask from the president.

The President during his two-day tour of the region, cut sod for work to commence on the controversial Bolga-Bawku road which he promised to get it fixed in 2013 before the next time he visited the place. He also gave clearance for the start of an irrigation project in the Kassena Nankana District to provide farmers access to constant flow of water to their farms all year round.

These sod cutting exercises were graciously celebrated with funfairs by party faithful who were clad in party colours and in a jubilant mood chanted “JM TOASO”, meaning JM should continue when promises made this region have not been fulfilled.

In Volta Region, the President commissioned new buildings and facilities for a new University. In Greater Accra, the Ridge hospital has been upgraded. There are several other developmental projects such as completed Community Day Senior High Schools that have been commissioned in central region and inspection of some hospitals and clinics in other parts of the country which have reached appreciable states.

In upper east region, the region could not boast of just one major project that has been completed for commissioning. Projects such as the Mirigu-Sirigu roads lie there unfinished. Why? Because the contractor claims to have been challenged with regards to resources and expects to do it at his own pace and people who complain are seen as opposition, Community Day Senior High School Projects have still not been completed although Deputy Education Minister’s claims resources have been provided.

Soe road linking Bolgatanaga to Bongo, the constituency of the regional minister who has been a Member of Parliament for almost sixteen years was in a very sorry state and took the benevolence of a contractor, I am told, to grade the road before the President came.

Other parts of the country have seen tremendous infrastructural development and that has had a trickling effect on standard of living of residents in those areas. These people enjoy quality life, a characteristic of a truly independent country.

But in upper east, leaders of the region have over the years taken the people for granted. They come back to pretend to be working only when election is beckoning, just to canvass for votes from the citizens who continue to be impoverished. They buy jerseys, football boots and other sporting materials to lure the youth who love football to vote for them whiles the region cannot even boast of a single grassed pitch. These leaders with no shame sponsor sporting activities which are played on gully ridden pitches and are injurious to the players. Why? Because all they think about is to get their names on the lips of the people so come December 7 they will remember to vote for them and not the welfare of the people.

I remember Hon Ayariga coming to promise of government’s commitment to improve sports facilities and development of talents but these did not and has not seen the day of light. I cannot question his love for his region, but he could have still followed up even when he left the sports ministry to ensure his people are given their fair share of the national cake in sports.

Upper east is lagging in every sector of our economy. Road network is a problem, fighting sanitation and its related issues, standard of education is falling, child marriage is on the rise, hospitals lack mortuaries, and communities lack access to motorable roads, poverty rate is on the rise leading to high rate of school dropout.

Until leaders respect the people of the region and not see them as a means to an end (VOTES) and fight for their fair share of development, upper east will continue to crawl as compared to other regions and would remain as a clear case of glorified mediocrity.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA


 

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