A youth-led sanitation group in the Navrongo Central Municipality has petitioned the Municipal Chief Executive and the Upper East Regional Minister over what it describes as a potential waste of public funds in the award of drainage desilting contracts.
The group, which calls itself the Dewolidaane Flow Keepers of Navrongo Central, said in a press release sighted by A1 Radio that it is a volunteer sanitation organization committed to keeping Navrongo clean and environmentally safe.
According to the statement, members have for years carried out voluntary desilting and drainage maintenance across the municipality, recording what they describe as visible results in several parts of the township, including areas around the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital.
“It is therefore with deep concern that we bring to your attention an issue within the Kassena Nankana Municipal Assembly which, if not addressed promptly, has the potential to encourage corruption and negatively affect the public image of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government,” the statement said.
The group said it recently undertook extensive desilting works on major gutters in the municipality and transported all collected waste to approved dumping sites. It said the drains in those areas have remained clean and functional since the exercise.
However, members said they were surprised to learn that the same locations had reportedly been awarded to a contractor to carry out similar desilting works.
“This development raises serious concerns among our members and the wider community, especially considering the government’s stated commitment to resetting governance and safeguarding public resources,” the statement said.
The group, which described itself as grassroots members and branch executives of the NDC, said it is troubled that public funds could be spent on work already executed voluntarily at no cost to the Assembly.
It further alleged that some contractor activities appear intended to create the impression that work is being done to justify payment claims. Such practices, the group said, undermine public trust and contradict principles of accountability and transparency.
While acknowledging growing agitation among its members and sympathizers, the group said it prefers dialogue and due process over confrontation. It warned, however, that failure to address the issue could lead to public demonstrations, which it said it hopes to avoid in the interest of peace and the government’s image.
The group called on the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga; the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, Simon Aworigo; and other party stakeholders to intervene by engaging the Municipal Chief Executive, Faustina Abulu, to review the contract and, if necessary, terminate it.
Mohammed Beli, convener of the Dewolidaane Flow Keepers of Navrongo Central, said the group remains confident that authorities will give the matter urgent attention.
Attempts to get responses from the MCE for Navrongo, Madam Faustina Abulu, were not successful at the time of publication.
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