The seven Paramount Chiefs in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region have been called upon to ensure absolute peace and tranquility in their respective traditional areas to pave way for development and allow businesses to thrive, leading to improved living conditions of their people.
The District Chief Executive [DCE], Honourable Stephen Aeke Akurugo made the call during separate courtesy calls on the Chiefs at their respective palaces.
Speaking at the Paga Pio’s palace on second day of the visit, the DCE stated, “I acknowledge that occupying the seat of DCE is not as easy task and so my humble appeal to you my revered Paramount Chiefs is to keep your various traditional areas peaceful at all times so that the development we all desire can thrive”.
He added that, “I also require your positive cooperation and wise counsel to enable me steer the affairs of our beloved Kassena-Nankana West District effectively”. The DCE assured the Chiefs that he will put his best efforts to the job so he can bequeath to the District, a legacy that will be worth telling generations yet to come.
The Paga Pio’s representatives used the opportunity to appeal to the DCE to take urgent action in tackling sanitation issues, see to the tarring of critical roads, carry out desilting works on the Dams to aid dry season farming and ensure adequate staffing of health facilities in the Paga area.
The visits took the DCE and his team to the District’s west end on day one with stops at the Chiana Pio’s palace, Katiu Pe’s palace as well as the Kayoro and Nakong Chiefs’ palaces.
Hosting the DCE at Chiana Pio’s palace, Mr. Simple Aniba who spoke on behalf of the Chief requested for the setting up of Police barriers on the road connecting Chiana and Sandema, saying that armed robbers have been terrorizing market women and other commuters on that stretch.
He also asked for the deployment of more Police officers in the Chiana township saying that just recently, some shops were attacked by armed robbers. Mr. Aniba also appealed for a possible creation of a new administrative District for the west enclave of the District as according to him, the area was too vast to be effectively administered by one District. He also called for the urgent removal of a giant refuse dump within the Chiana town as it was posing a health risk for residents.
In his response, Honourable Akurugo promised to hold discussions with the Police command and other security bosses to beef up Police visibility and patrols in the areas of concern. He also assured the people that he will direct his officers to see to the immediate removal of the refuse heap.
While with the Paramount Chief of Kayoro, Pe Oscar Batabi Tiyiamo wished the DCE a successful tenure. He appealed for the setting up of a Police Station in his community owning to its proximity with Burkina Faso and also asked for the desilting of a major Dam in the community which he said was over 50 years old. The need for expanded electricity coverage, works on roads and additional classroom infrastructure for the Kayoro Junior High School were some of the other issues he raised.
The issues at the Katiu Chief’s palace were not too different to that of Nakong. The Nakong Chief, Pe Joseph Banape Afogachi III told the DCE that there have been rampant armed robbery cases on the Nakong-Tumu Road especially around the Sissili river and proposed a Police Post as a panacea to the problem. He further appealed for the supply of agricultural inputs including subsidized fertilizers and high-yielding seeds for his people as majority were farmers.
Honourable Akurugo said that he had noted down the issues raised though, many were not new to him noting that resource unavailability often caused the delay in action but that these will surely be handled, one after the other.
The Mirigu and Sirigu palaces in the east section of the District climaxed the DCE’s courtesy calls. Naba Anthony Abisa Anonsona Atasige III, Paramount Chief of Mirigu who doubles as the Vice President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs spoke passionately about the bad road network in his traditional area stressing that his people face tremendous challenges annually during the rainy seasons commuting to neighbouring towns like Navrongo and Kandiga as a result of the precarious roads in the area. He said that he has cried to previous governments but help never came and hoped the DCE could use his influence and networks in government to help them out.
Naba Atasige III also raised concerns of vast areas under his jurisdiction which are still not connected to the national electricity grid and also pointed out a number of galvanized high-tension metal poles that have been dumped at the forecourt of his palace for several years with the promise to mount and string them in the underserved communities and called on the DCE to reach out to the authorities on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the representatives of Sirigu Naba also made requests bothering on roads and bridges to open up the larger Sirigu area and the supply of adequate furniture for schools in the area. The issue of the Kandiga-Doba ethnic conflict also came up during the discussions, as signals were picked up that some actions by few people could likely reignite the conflict.
The DCE said in his response that he trusts the security agencies to deal effectively with the matter and appealed to all from both sides to remain calm. He assured the Chiefs that the District’s DRIP machines will soon move into their communities to carry out works on the roads while discussions will be held with the roads’ authorities for more permanent solutions a bit later.
He also made some stopover visits to a number of BECE Examination Centres including the ones at the Paga Senior High School, Nabango Senior High, Sirigu Senior High and the Chiana Senior High School. In all these Examination Centres visited, no adverse reports were made to the DCE and his team during interactions with examination officers. A total of 266 candidates were taking the examination at the Nabango centre while the Sirigu Senior High Centre had a record of 305 candidates comprising, 142 boys and 163 girls writing the exams.
The visits lasted two days and were purposed for the DCE to pay homage to the Paramount Chiefs for their collective support for his overwhelming confirmation and also to listen to their concerns and suggestions for his administration at first hand.
Source: Peter Atogewe Wedam, Kassena- Nankana West District Information Officer