Minister to investigate why EU Farm Roads project excluded Sissala area

The residents of Sissala have been reassured by Mr. Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West regional Minister, that in-depth inquiries will be conducted to determine the reason behind the area’s exclusion from the EU Farm Roads project.

According to him, the government’s top goal was to make sure that every Ghanaian, including those living in the Sissala enclave, had access to development and that every effort would be made to further the area’s development.

“Lopsided development is not good for nation building and I will ask the necessary questions as to why the EU Farm Roads project did not include this area and if it is not late, we will see if something can be done about it.

I will also lobby the president and the vice president for the Sissala roads to be done with or without the EU Farm Roads project to justify the confidence reposed in the NPP”, he said.

During his familiarization visit to paramountcies in the Tumu traditional council in the Sissala East Municipality, Mr. Yakubu was reacting to concerns raised by the local chiefs.

Mahamud Kuoro Savei Zakaria, the vice president of the Tumu traditional council, informed the minister that the Sissala people were pained because their region was not included in the 60-kilometer farm access roads planned by the European Union.

“Surprisingly we hear 70 per cent of the roads are done and not a single kilometre comes to this area, this, we feel discriminated against and neglected”, he said.

Although work was still being done on the Tumu-Navrongo-Bolgatanga route, Kuoro Zakaria remarked that it was moving slowly and requested the government to give the contractors access to funding because these two regions were still lacking tarred roads.

Kuoro Zakaria applauded the government for stepping up security and logistics, but he pleaded that the next round of planting for food and job should concentrate on impoverished farmers, with special attention paid to the distribution of fertilizer, timely tractor services, and seeds.

Mr. Yakubu pledged that he would continuously monitor the situation to guarantee that the region received its fair part of the national cake.

He emphasized that despite all of the difficulties listed, he would keep working to find solutions and push for improvements so that the Tumu area will become a better place to live.

“The road network, the schools, the hospitals, electricity, security bit, fertilizer, we will keep pushing till we all enjoy them”, he assured.