The Honorable Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sissala West constituency, Mohammed Adams Sukparu, is demanding explanations from two sector ministers as to why his area lacks good road infrastructure, a health facility, among others. He has thus filed two urgent questions in Parliament and is expecting answers from the sector ministers in the coming week. He also want specific information on what the government’s action plans are towards developing the constituency.
The MP is appalled that Gwollu – the district capital of Sissala West and the hometown of a former president of Ghana – Dr Hilla Limann, cannot boast of a single tarred road or a hospital in the entire district.
He said the absence of this infrastructure is making life in the constituency unbearable and telling on businesses and health of the people.
“It appears we have been excluded from the government’s developmental agenda and it is impacting negatively on the living conditions of the good people of Sissala West. We deserve better, far better than this,” he lamented.
The MP made this known to some journalists in his office in Parliament on Friday after filling some urgent questions to the Speaker demanding the urgent appearance of the Minister for Roads and Highways, Akwasi Amoako Atta, and the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu on the floor of the House.
“The two urgent questions I have filed are aimed at calling the sector ministers to come and provide answers to parliament as to why they are denying the good people of Sissala West their rights to good roads and good health,” he noted
He said the people of the area have suffered for far too long and it is time the government stops the political games it is playing with the infrastructure development in rural communities and actually work in the interest of the people.
He recalled that ahead of the 2016 general elections the then government had awarded most of the road networks in the constituency on contract. He alleged that some of whom contractors even brought their equipment to site to start work. However, all of them moved out of site when this new government came into office in 2017 and no one has since seen or heard from them again.
Read More: Adwoa Safo meets CSOs in Gender, Children and Social Protection
“In the whole of Sissala West there is not a single tarred road. And this is a constituency that has been created since 2004. Most of the roads are said to be under awards. Contractors attempted working on the roads but abandoned them for reasons known only to them and the sector minister.
“Before 2016 elections some contractors were on site for the Gwollu Jeffisi Road – which is a very important road for the people of the constituency, but immediately this government came into office in 2017, the contractor abandoned site and has never returned.
“We have another road called the Gwollu town roads – before 2016 elections there was a contractor on site working on it but in 2017 we have no idea about the whereabouts of the contractor and we don’t know what is really happening to that sector
“Another road called Gwollu-Liplime-Jawia, – there was another contractor on that portion of the road, but for about 5 years now none of these contractors have been seen. And if you go to the constituency as we speak it is very bad. Sometimes you ask yourself whether we too are part of this country. You ask whether we also don’t deserve our share of the national cake,” Hon Sukparu stated.
“It is not only the roads that are our problem. Sissala West is the hometown of a former president of Ghana – Hilla Limann. The District capital is Gwollu and we have been told since May last year that the government was going to build some 88 hospitals. Gwollu was mentioned as a beneficiary community. We were told that by the end of 2020 there’ll be a district hospital at Gwollu. But as I speak with you now, not even a single block or site has been identified anywhere to convince the people of Sissala West that yes the government was working towards it”.
By Jeorge Wilson Kingson || ghananewsonline.com.gh