NDC organizes demonstration in Wa to demand inauguration of projects

The Upper West Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress has taken to the streets of Wa to demand the inauguration of projects that were completed under the erstwhile Mahama administration and the continuation of stalled ones in the region, by government.

Holding placards with inscriptions such as “Mr President, what has the people of Upper West Region done?”, “Deceptive government, stop being insensitive”, “Show us your competence, Nana Addo”, “Nana, stop fooling us! Kyebi road finished, Upper West Hospital stopped”, among others, the party faithful and sympathisers, including party executives and former government officials, marched through the principal streets of Wa amidst heavy security from the Regional Police Command.

Clad in red and black attire with red bands fastened around their heads and wrists respectively, the demonstrators converged at the forecourt of the new regional hospital to present their petition.

The Regional Communications Officer (RCO) of the NDC, Prosper Puo-ire, who spoke on behalf of the group, said “the airport which was completed and handed over to this regime has remained a tourist site and preserved for the sole use of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice. Other abandoned projects in the region include the 10 warehouses which were completed under Mahama’s administration, the Nadowli-Babile-Nandom, the Hamile-Fielmuo-Gwollu, Hian-Jeffisi-Tumu roads that were under construction have stalled”.

Focusing his speech on the regional hospital, the RCO indicated that residents of the Upper West Region could not fathom why such a facility that would inure to their general wellbeing of the people would be left unutilised by a people who ‘have become stranded in their healthcare needs and have suffered several avoidable deaths due to their inability to garner the needed resources to access other referral centres outside the region”.

“The region is currently suffering acute shortage of very critical health consumables within the public health facilities coupled with the collapse of health care delivery which is further exacerbated by the ailing National Health Insurance Scheme that is bedeviled with debts,” Mr Puo-Ire stated and called for expedition of action by President Akufo-Addo in order to inaugurate the projects, which according to him, were completed by former President John Dramani Mahama.

For his part, Acting Director of Elections for the NDC, Bede Ziedeng, decried what he described as ‘government’s refusal to inaugurate the regional hospital’ to be used by residents in the region and said the refusal was simply unacceptable.

‘We are all aware of the economic situation of our people, many of them are not able to transport themselves to southern Ghana to seek healthcare when the existing facilities in the region are unable to cater for their health needs, hence are left to die needlessly. I do not see why this should continue when such a facility has been constructed in the region,” Mr Ziedeng said.

Mr Ziedeng appealed to the President to show concern towards the needs of the people in the region and facilitate their wellbeing by handing over the social intervention projects that were completed during the NDC regime.