Protest hits Akufo-Addo, Buipewura, over hospital project in Northern region

Residents of Kapelbe near Buipe in the Central Gonja district of the Northern Region poured onto the street in a peaceful protest against President Akufo-Addo, chief of Buipe Abdulai Jinapor II and the District Chief Executive, Dr Mustapha Mahama over plans to divert the construction of a specialized hospital from the community to Buipe Township.

The President during his three-day tour of the region, at Buipe, the district capital, cut a sod for the construction of the 80-bed hospital for treatment of accident and emergency case, signalling that the project was being moved from Kabelpe to Buipe.

More than 100 residents of the Kabelpe community made up of chiefs and elders on Tuesday then came out with placards to rally against the plans to relocate the project. The protesters wearing red rags walked from the community to the Buipe Township to petition the DCE.

Secretary of the Kabelpe Youth, Dauda Dari said the project had already been earmarked for construction and contractors were already on site at the community.

He also said, sod cutting ceremony for the project had been done as far back in 2016 and blamed the DCE and the chief of Buipe for misleading president Akufo-Addo to move the project to Buipe.