Sixteen communities in old Agou appeal for telecom network

By Kinsley Mamore

Old Agou (O/R) Mar 18, GNA – The Chiefs and Residents in Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region are seeking support of the National Communication Authority (NCA), for connection to the country’s mobile telecommunication network. 

The lack of communication network is a disincentive to development partners of these communities endowed with cash crops such as cashews, oranges, cocoa, plantain, cassava, yam among others, which could bolster the economy of the area.  

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), sighted dozens of people converging daily on hilly areas while others climbed onto trees to make and received urgent mobile calls.  

GNA accompanied the chief to the converging point where scores have congregated struggling to communicate on a poor and irregular network to relatives. 

Nana Okumesi, chief of old Agou said government should encourage mobile networks and service providers to reach out to them as members of corporate Ghana. 

He disclosed that community members would usually cover a distance of at least seven miles to and fro that hilly area whenever they wanted to make mobile calls. 

The chief described his area as strategically located and that having a mobile network facility will have direct access to the sixteen communities where national mobile service providers would do more profitable business. 

Mr Godfred Lettu, a community senior nurse explained that the network situation is seriously affecting their services at the facility as he is unable to use the National Health Insurance Authority’s (NHIS) claims check code to authenticate the validity of patient’s card.  

He added there are always challenges when they wanted to send distress messages to referral points during emergency situations. 

Some community members at Dawa -Akura, also, made passionate appeal through the GNA, to the Ministry of Communication and Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to come to their aid under its project of providing universal access to basic telephony to unserved and underserved communities since the area is a major agricultural hub. 

GNA