Naab Bileehsing Lanwont Namoog, Chief of the Kotintabig Traditional Area in the Nabdam District, has urged residents of the Upper East Region to demand greater accountability and development from governments, irrespective of their political affiliation.
Speaking on Bolga FM’s Timaaga Sanga programme, Naab Bileehsing argued that the region’s support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should be matched by greater investment in infrastructure, employment and economic opportunities.
“I think the Upper East Region has done well for the NDC, and they have no excuse to say they cannot develop Upper East,” he said.
The chief, who is also a lecturer at Bolgatanga Technical University, said limited employment opportunities remain a major concern, particularly for young people.
“The opportunities are not there. We have limited opportunities for the youth, so this was a way of trying to keep our youth busy doing something productive,” he said.
Naab Bileehsing said residents should not allow their political preferences to prevent them from demanding development and accountability from elected officials.
“Politicians should not take us for granted. That is why I said some time ago that until Upper East sacrifices five NDC MPs and allows them to lose, they will never take us seriously,” he stated.
He stressed that his concern was about development rather than partisan politics.
“I am talking in terms of development,” he said.
Naab Bileehsing also expressed concern about what he sees as disparities in development between the Upper East and Upper West regions.
“When you go to the Upper West Region, the level of development there cannot be compared to what is happening in the Upper East,” he said.
He acknowledged that successive governments, from the administration of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to the current administration of President John Dramani Mahama, have contributed to the country’s development.
He, however, maintained that the Upper East Region requires greater investment to address its infrastructure and economic challenges.
Naab Bileehsing called for increased attention to job creation, agriculture, education, healthcare and infrastructure to expand opportunities, particularly for young people in the region.
“We cannot take political support for granted, and government cannot take the people for granted. What we are asking for is development,” he said.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Mary Atiamah Aperika | Bolgatanga
