By Joshua Asaah
Kumbilingo (UE/R), March 28, GNA – Residents of Sherigu-Kumbilingo in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have unanimously threatened to boycott the upcoming District Level Elections and the 2024 General Election if government failed to connect the community onto the national grid.
Some community members, speaking with the Ghana News Agency at Kumbilingo, said social and economic activities in the area had been largely affected due to lack of electricity.
“The lack of electricity in the community is affecting the standard of education of our children. They want to learn at night but because of the situation, they can’t learn,” Carolina Akasoh, a mother, said.
Madam Rebecca Azoneere Apelesum, a trader, said some women in the community had refrigerators that could enable them to trade in frozen foods and chilled water, to make an income, but the lack of electricity was hindering their efforts to achieve that.
Mr Akolgo Akay, a businessman, said residents could have ventured into all-year-round farming through drilled mechanized boreholes, “but when you drill a borehole, without power, you can’t mechanize it.”
The absence of electricity has compelled the residents, about 1,000, to rely on lanterns and torchlights for domestic, social, and livelihood activities.
Out of 10 communities that form the Kumbilingo electoral area, only parts of two communities in the area are connected to the national grid.
Even though electricity poles had been mounted in some areas, they continued to rot with no power connected.
Mr Akolbila Peter, Secretary of the Abotesugere Youth in Bolga Sherigu, addressing the press, lamented the lip service paid by successive governments to the plight of the community.
“We will not even talk of the other smaller political parties, but will solely vent our emotions on the two major political parties; NPP and NDC, that they have failed us, they have not been faithful enough but it is not too late for them to redeem their images,” he noted.
Mr Rex Asanga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, when contacted, said the contractor had run out of materials, “but fortunately when I contacted the supervising consultant, he said the Ministry of Energy has taken delivery of materials”
“…And the contractor is at the Ministry trying to get his share and as soon as he gets the materials, Kumbilingo Community will be connected to the national grid”.
GNA