Former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority, Dr John Kingsley Krugu, has urged residents of the Upper East Region to scrutinise government promises and look for corresponding allocations in the 2027 national budget before considering them credible development commitments.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Dr Krugu said announcements alone do not guarantee that projects will be delivered, arguing that every meaningful government commitment must progress through three stages.
“There are three things. One is making a public commitment. Two is making a budgetary provision. And three is execution,” he said.
He therefore urged residents to pay particular attention to the 2027 national budget to determine whether major projects promised to the Upper East Region receive clear financial allocations.
Dr Krugu cited the proposed Upper East Airport, rice processing, a meat factory, tomato processing and the Tono irrigation project among interventions he wants to see backed by concrete government action.
“I want to see the rice mill back. I want to see the projects that bring jobs. I want to see the meat factory back. I want to see the tomato processing factory back. And in that link, I want to see that Tono irrigation is back and functioning at peak,” he said.
He cautioned residents against treating public announcements, including commitments made during presidential visits, as evidence that projects will necessarily be implemented.
According to him, the next important test is whether those commitments are provided for in the national budget and subsequently executed.
Dr Krugu also challenged supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress not to become complacent following the party’s victory in all 15 parliamentary constituencies in the Upper East Region.
He said supporters who worked to elect the region’s MPs have a responsibility to continue demanding results from them rather than assuming that development will automatically follow electoral victory.
According to Dr Krugu, the priorities of politicians can change after they assume office, making sustained pressure from constituents an important part of holding elected officials accountable.
“If you also sit back and say, ‘I worked for him anyway. If he doesn’t come and help me, he’s just ungrateful,’ then the story ends there,” he said.
He therefore urged residents to move beyond celebrating the NDC’s 15/15 parliamentary victory and actively monitor the commitments made to the region.
For Dr Krugu, government promises should ultimately be measured not by public announcements, but by whether they receive funding, are implemented and produce tangible results for residents.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
