The Member of Parliament for Sissala West Mohammed Adams Sakparu has expressed disappointment over what he described as “deliberate exclusion of Sissala West, Sissala East and Wa East Districts from European Union-funded feeder road projects in the Upper West Region.
According to him, efforts made by the Chiefs and people of Sissala area to draw the attention of central government over the deplorable state of their roads, were not successful as numerous visits to the Presidency have yielded no “meaningful results”
The government of Ghana received a grant of 35 million Euros from the European Union for the rehabilitation and maintenance of 670 km of feeder roads and farm access roads in the Upper West region. The financial support is aimed at improving inter-connectivity between areas of production and market places.
But in a statement, the MP questioned the exclusion of the districts from the project despite their massive contribution to the country’s food basket.
“Considering the aim of the project, one would have thought that it would be fair to consider areas that are into agricultural production in the region. For instance, the Sissala enclave serves as a major food basket in the region and the country at large. So, it baffles me to see that road projects are not being pushed to those areas”
Mohammed Adams Sakparu in justifying why the districts should have been included in the EU-funded projects explained that in 2019, Sissala West has been adjudged as the best quality maize producer in the country at the National Farmer’s Day celebration, while Sissala East came second. Adding that the success story of government’s flagship policy, Planting for Food and Jobs cannot be told without mentioning the Sissala districts. But “It is surprising how road networks in these districts are in deplorable state”
He said attempt made by the Chiefs and people of Sissala to get the bad roads fixed have proven futile, recalling how the Sissala area was neglected on the government’s year of roads projects declared in 2019.
The MP for Sissala West called on government and key stakeholders of the EU-funded feeder road projects to immediately consider the Sissala districts “for the sake of fairness and equity”
“I appreciate the effort of government, the European Union and World Bank for bringing such a laudable project to the region in an attempt to improve farm access road network in the region to ensure sustainable agriculture. However, on behalf of the people of the Sissala Districts I want to express my utmost disdain on the way and manner this projects were selfishly shared without considering our districts” the statement added.
