Gandawi Chiefs Pay Historic Visit To Akufo-Addo At Jubilee Houseo continue with his good works.
President Akufo-Addo was reacting to a request by the Paramount Chief of Pulima and President of the Gandawii Traditional Council in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region for road construction and some other developmental interventions.
He and his sub-chiefs paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House in Accra.
The President said, all the appeals made by the Paramount Chief are legitimate concerns and those that can be done before elections will be tackled immediately and those that are for long term will be worked on when he wins December 7 elections.
He was happy to see the newly sworn-in Chief of Pulima after 20years of protracted chieftaincy dispute in the community after the death of Kpunia Nankpa ii.
While commending the President on his numerous social interventions in the area of Education, Health, Agriculture and many others, Kuoro Osman Deiwia NANKPA iii, the Paramount Chief of Pulima appealed to the President to intervene in some number of development issues in the Gandawi traditional area.
Kuoro Osman said the president will be remembered if the Wa-Hain-Tumu-Bolga highway is completed. According to him, it would ease the suffering of many commuters on the highway.
“Also, tarring the Tumu-Gbollu trunk road will not only be of relief to my people but would be an honour to the late Dr Hilla Limann of blessed memory, the only president of the 3rd Republic. The other road of immense importance to us (Sissalas) is the Tumu-Wellembelle-Kajukperi stretch, which serves as the main or alternative route to Wa to many Sissala people.
“It is of essence to also bring to your attention, Your Excellency, some broken bridges that have rendered a number of link-roads in the Sissala West District unmotorable; talking about Jeffisi-Bullu bridge, Kandia-Buoti bridge and the Gorima-Jawia bridge. These are roads that serve as major routes for our rural farmers to various market centres, thus an urgent action to fix these bridges would alleviate the plight of the rural poor farmer, and would ultimately save lives.”
*On education*
Kuoro Osman appealed to the government to construct a state-of-the-art Technical Vocational Educational Training (TVET) institutions in the Sissala West District as the district has only one Senior High School (the Hilla Limann Senior High school), with another community day Senior High School still under construction in Zini.
*Under 1V1D*
Pulima Kuoro extended the plea of farmers in the district to get dams to communities that are left out of communities with dams as this will help reduce the migration gape to the urban areas as well as encourage the traditional area in the rearing of livestock
*On women empowerment*
He said women of the Sissala West District crave for Shea processing industries in some communities.
He noted that the move will help alleviate the suffering women go through in processing shea into butter for domestic consumption and commercial purposes. “Worthy of note Your Excellency, my traditional area and for that matter the Sissala area is known for its high Shea yields perennially. Thus, permit me to humbly suggest the siting of a Shea Processing Factory in my Traditional Area under the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy. This I believe will economically empower the rural women and create jobs for the youth in the area”.
*On telecommunication*
Kuoro Osman appealed to government to ease the suffering of the people in seeking telephone network to make calls despite their proximity to Tumu and Gwollu. He explained that telecommunication network is very poor in the traditional area compelling people to climb tress and mountains to get network service.
*On area council*
He stressed that Gandawi area is one of the oldest paramountcies in the Upper West Region but is yet to get a befitting traditional council office due mainly to the absence of a Paramount Chief after the passing of his late father in July, 1998. He, therefore, crave for the president indulgence to get the area a befitting office space to enable the Traditional Council Registrar to carry out official duties without any hindrances.
In the area of health, he appeals to the president to upgrade the Pulima CHPS compound to a clinic. This, he said, will serve over ten communities health needs within his traditional area. “This should ease the numbers and burden on the Tumu Municipal Hospital.”
The 25 member delegation was made up of the paramount chief, sub-chiefs, queen mothers, leadership of the tradition area youth, educationist, landlords with the Upper West Regional minister Dr.Hafiz Bin Salih in attendance.
