Sissala West MP seeks urgent answers to road, health issues

Mohammed Adams Sukparu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala West Constituency, wants the Ministers of Roads and Highways, and Health to explain the poor nature of roads, and inadequate health facilities in the constituency.

“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,” Mr Sukparu said in Accra.

The House is expected to rise by the middle of this week, to reconvene on May 18, 2021, but the MP was demanding an explanation from the two-sector ministers as to why his area lacked good road infrastructure, a health facility, among others.

“I have filed two urgent questions in Parliament and expecting answers from the sector ministers in the coming week,” the MP said, adding, “I want specific information on what action plans the Government is developing towards the constituency.”

In a chat with journalists at the week, in Parliament House, in Accra, the MP did not understand why there is not a single tarred road or hospital in Gwollu, the district capital of Sissala West Assembly, which is also the hometown of former President Hilla Limann.

According to the MP, the people of Sissala West can only access the Nadowli District Hospital, a two- hour drive; and that, the lack of a district hospital for Sissala West put the lives of the people more at risk in the period of Covid-19.

“It’s only God’s protection that has kept us in the middle of this pandemic, the MP said, adding, “So as the good people of Sissala West, we want our share of the national cake.

“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 referred to a recent programme to build District Hospitals across the country, and said: ‘We were told that by the end of 2020 there’ll be a district hospital at Gwollu.

‘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.

“But as I speak with you now, not even a single block or site has not been identified anywhere to convince the people of Sissala West that yes the government is working towards it.”

He also identified the language barrier as challenges for his constituents in accessing health care.

Mr Sukparus appealed to the Government to prioritise infrastructure development in rural communities and actually work in the interest of the people.

“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,’ Mr Supkaru said.

He described Gwollu Jeffisi Road as important to the people in the constituency, but wondered why the contractor abandoned site, since 2017 and never returned.

Other roads, where the contractors abandoned site, according to the Sissala West MP, were the Gwollu Town, the Gwollu-Liplime-Jawia, – there was another contractor on that portion of the road, but for about 5 years now none of those contractors were seen.

“And if you go to the constituency as we speak, it is 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.