'Overhyped, ignorant Bawumia competing with serial callers' – NDC

The main opposition National Democratic Congress in the five regions of northern Ghana has replied Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over his challenge to former President John Mahama to mention just one legacy he left for northerners during his tenure of office from 2012 to 2016.

Dr Bawumia threw the challenge on Sunday, 24 November 2019 when he joined the chiefs and people of Nandom Traditional Area to celebrate the 31 annual Kakube Festival at Nandom in the Upper West Region.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Bawumia said: “H.E. John Mahama should tell Ghanaians one legacy that he left in northern Ghana; just one when he was President for four-and-a-half years. What legacy did he leave?”

"Is it the SADA that he left as a legacy for the north or it's the Guinea fowls that he left for northerners," the Vice-President wondered.

Responding to the Vice-President’s challenge, the five regional communication officers of the NDC, in a statement, said Dr Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government come nowhere close to the “superior record” of Mr Mahama and the NDC as far as the development of northern Ghana is concerned.

The NDC chronicled the projects below from the different regions up north as some legacies of Mr Mahama:

A. UPPER WEST

1. Construction of 160-bed Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa

2. Rehabilitation and upgrade of Wa Airstrip into Airport to support domestic flights

3. Construction of Upper West Regional library

4. Wa Town Urban water project

5. Construction of 64 CHPS Compounds

6. Four (4) Health Training Institutions (Nandom, Lawra, Tumu and Kperisi in Wa)

7. New Senior High Schools in Gwollu, Funsi and Birifo

8. Eight number E-Blocks. (Lambussie, Loggu, Dorimon, Zini, Naro, Domwin Boo, Konzokala and Wellembelle) Lambussie and Loggu operational now and the remaining six abandoned at various stages by the NPP

9. Elimination of forty schools under trees

10. Five Polyclinics (Wechau, Babile, Ko, Lambussie and Hian)

11. 74 GSOP Dams and labour intensive access roads

12. Construction of a military barracks to host the Airforce detachment in Wa.

13. 641 Communities connected to the National grid under SHEP and China Water Project

14. 8 number small town water project for Wechau, Manwe, Goripie, Kpongu, Piina, Nator, Sombo and Wellembelle

15. 4 number warehouses and pack housing for grains and vegetable storage at Sombo, Gwollu, Eremon and Yagha

B. UPPER EAST

1. Rehabilitation and expansion of Upper East Regional Hospital to meet world standards

2. Bitumen surfacing of Bolga to Bongo road

3. Rehabilitation and modernization of Tono and Vea Dams through GCAP

4. Construction of Navrongo and Bawku Town Water systems

5. Construction of 1000 tonnes capacity warehouses for storage of farm produce at Wiase, Bolgatanga, Sandema and Navrongo

6. Construction and rehabilitation of 86 small scale irrigation dams through GSOP

7. Construction of Tongo-Winkogo road

8. About 100 communities connected to the National grid through SHEP

9. Massive infrastructure in almost every Senior High School through SEIP

10. Construction of 70 CHPS Compounds to improve access to health in our rural communities

11. Expansion of infrastructure at St John Bosco College of Education, Gbewaa College of Education, Zourungo Nursing Training College and UDS Navrongo Campus. This has expanded access to Tertiary Education in the Upper East Region.

12. Constructed about 500 basic school blocks in the Region (the largest intervention to basic education in UER since independence)

13. Commenced the construction of the 112 km Bolga-Bawku- Pulmanko road

14. Commenced the construction of the Tamne large scale irrigation dam project to boost irrigation farming in Garu, Tempani, Pusiga, Bawku and Binduri

15. Navrongo to Tumu road (work was progressing steadily, but truncated by this government.

C. NORTH EAST REGION

1. Establishment of the Gambaga College of Education

2. Construction of 57 km Walewale-Nalerigu road

3. Over 100 communities connected to the national grid

4. Construction of a storey building dormitory block and a six-unit classroom block at Bunkprurugu Senior High School

5. Construction of the Boayini bridge in West Mamprusi Municipaliy

6. Bitumen surfacing of Wiase to Yabaga road

7. Construction of small-town water systems at Kparigu and Tinguri

8. Construction of Nalerigu, Gambaga and Walewale town roads

9. Construction of 20 CHPS Compounds to boost access to health in rural communities within the Region

10. Boardinisation of Nankpanduri and Bunkpurugu Snr High Schools

11. Massive infrastructure within Senior High Schools to improve access through the SEIP Program

12. Office Complex for the Municipal Education Directorate at Walewale

13. A modern lorry station in Walewale

14. Construction of Assembly Hall Complex at Cherepony

15. Construction of District Assembly Complex at Yagaba in the Mamprugu/Moadur District

D. NORTHERN REGION

1. Tamale to Techiman asphaltic pavement road

2. Tamale township asphaltic overlay

3. Asphaltic overlay of roads at Kamina barracks, Bawa Barracks and Tamale Airport residential area

4. Wulensi Kpandai roads

5. Nyankpala, Tolon, Tali road

6. Tamale South Township roads

7. Upgrading of Tamale Airport to an International Airport

8. Abuobu market reconstruction

9. Tamale old market reconstruction

10. 800 bed capacity Tamale Teaching Hospital phase 1&2

11. Polyclinics at Tatale and Kpandai

12. Health Training Schools at Yendi and Gusheigu

13. 18 ICT Centres across the Region

14. Water projects for Nantong, Savulugu, Tamale South, Tamale North, Sagnerigu and Kanvili Tuunayil

15. Rural electrification for about 1000 communities across the Region

E. SAVANNAH REGION

1. Sawla Damango- Fufulso road (tarred with schools, markets and clinics for communities along the road)

2. Established a Senior High School in Sawla

3. Market complex at Sawla, Damongo,Busunu etc

4. Community Day School at Daboya (E-Block)

5. ninety-five communities connected to the National grid

6. District Assembly Block at Damango

7. Mpaha and Buipe senior high schools

8. Kpalibe Senior High School, Buipe SHS, Buipe S.H.T.S and Mpaha SHS (almost completed)

9. Nurses bungalows at Goyiri, Kulmasa and Sawla

10. Sawla Polyclinic

11. Health Insurance Office at Sawla

12. Established Sawls Senior High School

13. Constructed the Kalba Dam

14. Kunfusi Polyclinic

15. West Gonja District Hospital

The NDC said the projects stated above are just “a tip of the iceberg of the unprecedented expansion of infrastructure and social services experienced by Northern Ghana under the leadership of HE John Dramani Mahama.”

The party said it is, therefore, “out of ignorance or a game of political mischief for anyone to suggest he or she cannot find traces of Mr Mahama and the NDC’s impact in northern Ghana in the erstwhile regime”.