Residents in Guunayili, a farming community in the Tamale south constituency of the northern region are competing with animals for water for over decades now. The community which is about four miles away from the Tamale metropolis can only boost of a dugout saving a population of about five thousand.
The News team mission to the community was simple to fine out their access to basic social aminities such as water, oilet facilities and access roads. After paying homage to the chief, Naa Zakaria Nasagri in his palace, community members started pouring out their frustrations. Some of them said, God brought you people to us we were even looking for you, you are the only people who can help us with our problbem, a community said in a loud voice.
After rounds in the community township, we went straight to the only dugout and met women and children struggling with cows for water.
Apart from potable drinking water, the community has no electricity, no toilet facilities even though is under Tamale metropolitan assembly.
The current presiding member of the Tamale metropolitan assembly, Alhaji Abukari A. Mohammed is the assembly man for the area. He has been serving Guunayili, Kambonayili and Chanshegu among others since 1992. His long time in the assembly ends him a name ’’senior minister’’.
He was re-elected as presiding member in June 2013 with 48 votes out of 52 assembly members present. But for the people of Guunaayili it has no relevance because the communities under his jurisdiction still lacking basic social amenities.
Pupils of Guunayili/Kambonayili A.M.E Ziong primary and Junior High School told Zaa News that the water problem in particular is affecting their education.
According to them, they attend school late because of lack of water to bath. Residents say the Member of Parliament for area, Haruna Iddrisu and the metropolitan chief executives of Tamale Hanan Gudaadoo Abdul-Rahman all aware of their predicament but are yet to come to their aid.
Following the continue neglect by governments, MP and the assembly, the Chief of Guunayili, Naa Zakaria Nasagri with the support of community members initiated a self-help water project for the community to get potable drinking water.
Unlike many communities where communal labor is no more in practice, Guunayili still stick to the old practice. They have started digging a pipe line from Tamale-Kumasi road where a bigger pipe was laid to the community.
The community is also liaising with a nongovernmental organization, New Energy who are into community water and boreholes provision situated in the area for support of pipes and technical expertise.
Officials of New Energy after visiting the community upon the chief invitation and estimated that about 14 coiled pipes for the extension of the water to Guunayili.
But the community has mange to buy only five pipes. Alhaji Alidu Zakaria Nasagri a son of the chief, said with or without the support of MP and the assembly, the community will do all they can to get potable drinking water. The Chief according to his son has asked people with plots to show serious commitment by contributing to the extension or have themselves blame in future.
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