The Paga Youth Movement (PAYOM) has renewed calls for the upgrading of the Paga/Navrongo Airstrip into a regional airport, citing national security concerns.
Speaking at a press conference held in Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, the group’s Public Relations Officer, Desmond Ayambire Abire, emphasized the airstrip’s strategic potential given its proximity to Burkina Faso—a country grappling with violent extremism from terrorist groups including Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM).
“Upgrading the Paga airstrip will enhance Ghana’s security preparedness,” Mr. Abire said, referencing the need for a rapid deployment hub in the event of any security breach near the country’s northern frontier.
The press conference follows President John Dramani Mahama’s directive for the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to explore a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for constructing a regional airport in the Upper East Region. However, PAYOM expressed disappointment that the Paga/Navrongo airstrip—constructed in the 1940s and historically used for military operations—has been overlooked in recent site assessments by both the GACL and the Regional Minister, with a new proposed site at Anateem being favored instead.
“We are not advocating selfishly,” Mr. Abire stressed, “but we’re calling for a fair and transparent process in the selection of a site for the airport. The Paga/Navrongo airstrip already has foundational infrastructure that makes it more cost-effective to upgrade than starting from scratch.”
PAYOM outlined multiple advantages for developing the Paga airstrip: proximity to the Sahel region for trade, and its existing tourism potential due to attractions like the Crocodile Pond and Pikworo Slave Camp.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Paga
