NAKONG APPEALS TO GOVT FOR ASSISTANCE (PAGE 39)

THE people of Nakong in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region have appealed to the government to provide them with basic amenities to make life bearable for them.
The absence of boreholes, teachers’ accommodation, proper toilet facilities, a police post and motorable roads is negatively affecting the progress of the community.
The paramount chief of the Nakong Traditional Area, Pe Joseph Banapeh Afagachie, made the appeal when the Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, paid a courtesy call on him to introduce himself to him and his people.
Nakong is midway between Navrongo in the Upper East Region and Tumu in the Upper West Region. However, the absence of a tarred road passing through the town has given armed robbers and other criminals a safe haven to conduct their nefarious activities.
The Nakong portion of the Navrongo-Tumu road is unmotorable during the wet season.
Pe Afagachie also expressed concern about child trafficking, which is prevalent in the area, adding that the crime was carried out with the consent of parents.
He, therefore, appealed to the government for support in curbing the menace.
“They (children) are being denied education, normal childhood and child security and are exposed to all forms of child abuse and because they lack education and vocational skills, they are unemployable and even turn to stealing and prostitution as a lifestyle,” he said.
Pe Afagachie said many of the youth, out of frustration, had taken to drugs and alcohol and were gradually becoming alcoholics and appealed to them to desist from that since it would affect them and retard the development of the area.
“The youth are our cultural and human resource, as such they ought to be guarded and protected jealously,” he said while appealing to the government and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the community.
He also solicited the assistance of the regional minister to check the presence of the black fly that caused river blindness, which is threatening the people.
Pe Afagachie said the community had no dam for dry season farming and a source of drinking water for animals and appealed to the government to provide the community with basic amenities, including two dams and tractor services.
Mr Woyongo assured the chief that the government was more committed to the construction of the road to open up the area to other parts of the north.
He said the main focus of the government was to help bridge the gap between the north and the south and assured the chief that the government would respond to their needs and provide other basic facilities for the community.
Mr Woyongo appealed to the people to practise family planning and produce the right number of children they could cater for in order to solve the problem of child trafficking.