BONGO RENEWS APPEAL FOR COMPLETION OF ROAD PROJECT (Page 20)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bongo

THE people of Bongo in the Upper East Region have renewed their appeal to the government to ensure the early completion of the major road linking the town to Bolgatanga to ease the transportation difficulties the people encounter.
They have also expressed concern that not even a kilometre of tarred road could be found in the district, a situation which was seriously hampering the economic development of the area.
The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarum, made the appeal at this year's Azambene Festival at Bongo.
He said he had information that the contract of work on the main Bolgatanga-Bongo road had been terminated, compelling the contractor to start moving his equipment away from the site.
"The tarring of the Bolgatanga-Bongo road, which began in 2002, came to a standstill when work on the Bolga portion was completed. Since then, all efforts to get the Bongo portion tarred have proved futile," Naba Aleemyaarum said.
He, therefore, pleaded with the government to get the tarring of the road completed to boost economic and social activities in the area.
The theme for this year's celebration was: "Culture Re-awakened to Promote Education”.
Naba Aleemyaarum said as part of measures to protect the environment, the traditional council had placed a ban on bush burning in the area and it had yielded fruitful results.
The chief appealed to benevolent organisations and individuals to assist the people to plant more trees, especially economic ones, to protect the environment.
Naba Aleemyaarum noted with regret that 2007 saw the area being hit by a long period of drought, followed by flooding that destroyed many farmlands, roads and houses, resulting in the displacement of a number of households.
He, however, commended the government and its development partners for their prompt response to the plight of the disaster victims by way of relief items.
The traditional ruler called on all stakeholders to be circumspect in the way they went about their political activities in order not to disturb the peace of the area.
"Let us continue to exhibit that high sense of unity among us for a common purpose. Let us remember that Ghana is the only country we have and so we should do everything possible to protect it like an egg," he stressed.
Responding to the pleas of the people, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, said the contract on the road linking Bolgatanga to Bongo was terminated as a result of the non-performance of the contractor.
He assured the people that the road would soon be awarded on contract and that everything would be done to ensure that it was completed on schedule.
Mr Samari disclosed that the government had set aside GH¢1.5 million for road construction in the region in the wake of the recent flood disaster that hit the area, adding that roads in Bongo would also be considered.
The regional minister stated that the government had taken a serious view of the imminent famine staring the people in the face after the floods and had taken concrete steps to tackle the problem appropriately.
"In addition to providing food aid for the people, the government is also working through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to supply seeds and fertilisers to the farmers," he said.
Mr Samari commended the chiefs and people of Bongo for instituting an educational endowment fund and urged them to liaise with the district assembly and the District Directorate of Education for advice as far as educational advancement in the district was concerned.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Francis A. Asampana, urged the people to take advantage of the government’s pro-poor policies, such as the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Capitation Grant, to better their lot.
The MP for the area, Mr Albert Abongo, who re-echoed the need for the early completion of the road project, also urged the people to take the education of the children seriously.