Bansi appeals for support

Bawku (U/E), July 27, GNA- The Bansi community has appealed to the Bawku Municipal Assembly (BMA) to as a matter of urgency, assist its development partners in the construction of a A21.9 billion water resource facility to improve the welfare of the people. The Solar Tube-Well Project, when implemented, could also be of benefit to five other nearby communities including, Zuase, Widnaba, Bakanga, Yalugu and Yarigungu.

Naba Abugbilla Atia, chief of Bansi, read the petition on behalf of the five other chiefs, assembly members, zonal council chair persons, opinion leaders and elders of the communities at a Community-Assembly meeting at Bawku.

The forum, which was facilitated by Bawku East Women's Development Association (BEWDA) and sponsored by Action Aid International, Ghana (AAIG) was among others, seeks to empower communities to initiate and implement development activities with the municipal secretariat. It also provides an avenue for the communities to dialogue and seek clarifications on priority issues with key development actors such as Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Heath Services (GHS) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). Naba Abugbilla said the priority of the communities, which include the water project was to address the erratic rainfall patterns resulting in low crop harvest over the years. He said this has contributed to the poverty level and high illiteracy rate of the communities, adding "9 out of 10 persons are in the poverty zone".

Naba Abugbilla said insufficient crop harvest to support livelihood led to high school dropouts, teenaged pregnancy, early marriages, malnutrition among children and mass migration of the youth. "It is in this light that these communities feel its future could be made better if measures could be taken to assist us to get reliable and sufficient water for drinking and irrigation to engage in dry season farming" the chief stated.

Naba Abugbilla said the communities settled for the solar powered Tube-Well, which cost a little high, but has a low maintenance and running costs as time rolls by.

He gave the assurance that the people in the communities were prepared to contribute their quota for the smooth implementation of the project since they believed it would improve their living standards. He commended BEWDA and AAIG for their immense support and expressed the hope that they would collaborate with the assembly for the project to materialise.

Mr. David Nar-Ire Binne, Deputy Municipal Coordinating Director, who received the petition on behalf of BMA, commended the communities for their initiatives to develop their areas to improve their living standards.

He said the secretariat would forward it to the General Assembly Meeting for a speedy execution of the project to militate their sufferings.

Mr. Abubakar Shaibu, Programmes Manager of BEWDA, said his outfit had been working in partnership with AAIG to support communities to initiate and implement their own development programmes with the use of the Rights Based Approach.

He said this is to promote the principles of active participation of all the communities in the development agenda.