The Mamprusi chiefs at the press conference
Chiefs, elders and youth of Mamprusi and its surrounding villages in the Daboya/Mankarigu Constituency have welcomed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to create new regions out of the existing ones, including the North-Eastern Region.
According to them, the opportunity given them to present their signed petition to the commission of enquiry on the creation of new regions is greatly appreciated, although time would not permit detailed oral presentation.
The chiefs said they believe the commission had made time to examine in detail the plight of their community members and considered the justification for demanding the creation of the North-Eastern Region.
The traditional rulers and their subjects made this known at a press conference in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.
Key developmental challenges in the area are lack of peace and security, which they noted had hampered development.
In all, 10 communities namely, Lukula, Kutula, Kuchualim, Sakpala, Zooyiri, Bugsa, Kuldani, Mempeasem, Sakpala and Sagya have all resolved to be part of the proposed North-Eastern Region.
It will be recalled that in 2012 the above-listed communities requested that they be made part of the then proposed Mamprugu Moaduri District, but the request didn’t get the needed attention.
The Leader of the Mamprusi delegation, Isaac Azindow, told DAILY GUIDE that they were desperately pleading with the government to be carved into the region, on the basis that, while the rest of the country are enjoying independence, freedom and justice as well as human and material resource development with vibrant economic activities, they still seem to be in the stone age.
Education
Most Ghanaian schools are functional with adequate number of teachers and teaching/learning resources. However, the story is a bit different at Mamprusi and the nearby villages.
Although the community has established schools, there are no sufficient teachers.
Zooyiri Primary School, one of the basic schools in the area, has only two teachers who are said to be ineffective due to lack of teaching/learning materials.
A primary school at Mempeasem has been abandoned for over ten years; and although it was part of the school feeding programme during the time of its operation, no single meal was ever served to the children, despite numerous complains.
Health
In the area of health, pregnant women and children reportedly die for lack of care. Clinics are not functional and the only health centre in Mankarigu is under-staffed and under-resourced medically.
There is no ambulance in the area to transfer emergency cases to the nearest hospital. A Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, which was built in 2008 at Mempeasem, has not been commissioned and so it has not been operational.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale