We've been sidelined from Zongo development - Kumasi Zongo communities to Mustapha Hamid

The spokesperson for Sarkin Zongo community in Kumasi, Osman Bin Ahmed, has expressed worry over what he describes as government’s failure to engage the Zongo communities with regards to decision making.

According to him, the manner at which the Zongo Development Ministry imposes its decisions on the Zongo communities is a worry claiming that no one from the Ministry has ever engaged them (Zongo residents) to discuss worrying development in the communities.

The Zongo Development Ministry was created under the Akufo-Addo-led administration to formulate and oversee the implementation of policies, programmes, and projects to alleviate poverty as well as ensure that Inner-Cities and Zongo communities become inclusively developed and prosperous. Dr. Mustapha Hamid serves as the head of the Ministry.

The Sarkin Zongo spokesperson thus appealed to the Ministry to not limit the Zongo Ministry to Accra only but also to other regions as the welfare of the Zongo communities in various regions is equally important.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News Osman Bin Ahmed explained, “I’m not impressed with what the Zongo Minister is doing because I can say that the Zongo ministry is only in Accra. They need to also come to us to know the requirement, what do we need, what do our communities need. You cannot sit down in Accra dictating for us. Where and when have they even sat down to ask us what we want? We are not politicians. We are not happy with the Zongo Ministry.

He added, “We need to see our people going to study medicine. You cannot decide something from the top and then impose it on us. If you want to settle out problems just come and sit down with us and ask what we want because the situations are always different. What happens in area A is different from what happens in area B. So I’m using this opportunity to tell the Ministry that is yes president is good and thinking for us but I can tell you the Zongo Ministry is always operating in Accra.”