Three other communities in the north join other communities threatening not to vote over bad roads
Three communities in the Sagnarigu and the Tamale south constituencies have served notice that they will not take part in this year’s election if their members of parliament fail to address their road problems. The communities are Gbambaya, Sagnarigu Dungu-Kukou and Kulnyevilla.
To demonstrate how committed they are to their threats, the communities strategically placed their sign posts on the ruling National the Democratic Congress (NDC) sign post, and also at vantage entry points, indicating that they meant want they said.
The communities announced their decision on Sunday during a demonstration to press home their demands on the need to make roads in the affected communities accessible.
The three communities are the second in the region in less than two months to have blessings from traditional rulers to demonstrate over bad road networks after some communities in the Kumbungu district embarked on a similar demonstration.
Five communities in the Kumbungu constituency took a similar decision over the inability of successive governments to connect them to the national grid .
Government maintains it is constructing roads and providing roads but the intended beneficiaries are losing patience. Currently, about 80% of communities in the northern region have been connected to electricity, according to government sources.
Earlier this year, the communities gave hints of their intention of boycotting this year’s election after what they say persistent appeals to the two big members of parliament, Alhaji A.B Fuseini who doubles as the deputy northern regional minister and Haruna Iddrisu- employment and labour relations minister for access roads failed.
The road from Sheshigu Junction to Kulnyavella according to the residents has become a death trap and incessant appeals to the authority to make the road accessible fell on deaf ears, hence their decision not to take part in the December 7 elections.
The community’s actions come barely 12 hours after the roads and high minister touted government’s huge investment in improving roads, healthcare and educational sectors of the economy at the launching of the employment and labor’s minister’s reelection campaign.
But residents, particularly women could not understand why they have been voting and worse, those they vote into power to address their problems don’t seem to care about their plight.
Mr Abdul Latif, on behalf of the youth in the area told Zaa News that, the youth remain resolute and will resist any attempt by politicians to campaign in the area still suffering from bad roads.
The women issued a strong warning that, they will stone any politician who ventures into the communities to campaign if the roads problems are not addressed.
Some of the angry women who spoke to Zaa News about their frustration on the road regretted that politicians have taken them for granted. “One of us lost her life two months ago on a bridge on the same road,” they said
“As we speak, another colleague of us is in the hospital as a result of an accident which led to her fracturing her leg; we cannot continue this way,” the women complained.
A sub-chief of Kulnyavella, Mba Silimboma Naa who spoke to Zaa News on behalf of the chief recounted how some members of the community were arrested during the Busia’s regime whose party, the Progress Party did not get a single vote in the community.
The community, he noted has been supporting the NDC but is disappointed at their commitment towards development issues. According to the chief, even though the NDC brought electricity to the community, community members still contributed for the contractor to execute the project. The chief hinted that, they will present their petition to the Sagnarigu MP over the issue.
