Tumu (U/W), Sept. 11, GNA – Electorates in the Sissala East Constituency said they will vote according to the attention government gives to their roads come December 7.
The Tumu Kuoro, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton VI, in a speech read on his behalf, said: “The state of our roads will inform the decision we make in the 2020 elections as the major trunk roads have never seen any improvement since independence”.
The Chief said this when Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited the area as part of his campaign tour of the Upper West Region.
He said all that his people wanted was action and not assurances adding: “One major reason my people gave the NPP a resounding victory in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections was because we had a hope of fixing our roads but we are disappointed.”
“It is also surprising that in the declaration of 2020 as the year of roads, the budget did not capture the Tumu-Wa-Tumu-Bolga trunk roads and our people are not happy. The Government has to do something about it urgently,” he said.
Kuoro Kanton, however, commended the Vice President and President Akufo-Addo for the numerous visits paid to the Sissala East Municipality and the Upper West Region, which was an indication of their love to the people.
“Your numerous visits to the area is an indication of your love for my people and we appreciate it,” he said.
He noted that social interventions by the New Patriotic Party- led government, including the Planting for Food and Jobs and Free Senior High School, had helped every household in the area.
He commended the Government, through the Municipal Assembly, for the creation and expansion of Tumu Town roads and the extension of electricity to some rural communities in the area.
The chief reminded the people not to relax in the observation of the covid-19 protocols as government worked to contain the spread of the disease.
“Your work to complete the many projects and the elevation of the St. Clares Vocational Institute is commendable. In the field of agriculture, the Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and rural development is visible for all to see,” he said.
The Tumu Kuoro said he made a request last year on the need for government to revive the Tumu cotton ginnery, provide a Municipal hospital, create another constituency, and provide a vocational and technical institute for the area but nothing had been done about it.
He called for the upgrading of the Tumu Customs barrier, tarring of the Tumu-Leo road to facilitate business among Ghana and her northern neighbours, and provision of a dam among other things and expressed the hope that government would respond to the request.
Vice President Bawumia, on his part, said: “Our presence here signifies our continuous love and care for the people of Sissala East”.
He urged the people to retain President Akufo-Addo in office to experience more of his good governance initiatives.
The Vice President accused the previous government of mismanaging the economy, which made it difficult for the New Patriotic Party to pay attention to critical areas that needed support.
“Even with that we were able to do new programmes including the Free Senior High school, NABCO, paying teacher trainee allowances due to how efficient we managed the economy”, he said.
The Vice President said the issue of the roads had always been clear to the Government and assured the people of its commitment to fixing their roads.
GNA