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24.05.2012 Feature Article

Is Upper West Region Really Part Of Ghana?

Is Upper West Region Really Part Of Ghana?
24.05.2012 LISTEN

It is the little things we do, not the bigger ones that make us different. - Sola Tando

I am not poor; at least I have to give thanks to Allah. More so, I am a Muslim, lucky to be blessed with the Quran as both guidance and inspiration. Ironically, I am experiencing poverty not by myself but indirectly through the trauma of living in the midst of grinding poverty and being assaulted daily by reminders and images of poverty, economic collapse and infrastructural problems. “…but if we do not define poverty and hardship only in starkly economic terms but in terms of what one may call the quality of life, then it's possible to see how a successful African professional in Africa although not poor or desperate in the economic sense could be poor and desperate in terms of quality of life” (Moses Ochonu, 2010). Poverty is both existential and vicarious in which it is experienced not by the self but indirectly through the socio-emotional trauma of living in it, ibid.

For now, I am only praying that almighty God should bless all surrounding me with the inner self confidence that they are as rich as I am, start taking measures to better their conditions, be agents for their personal development and equally declare that “nobody needs me but I can do something for myself” Those development economists who defined poverty as a state of the mind may be right to some extent. Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of Independent India and a 1970 laureate in development economics reminds us that an ancient mind with a modern tool will still make us poor.

How can you leave on an unsustainable, unrealistic and disgracefully meager monthly income but still not take measures to eliminate malaria and diarrhea by ensuring environmental cleanliness, you burn waste containers and turn around, blaming government for providing insufficient, aba! What? Have you forgotten you going to use part of your meager income curing malaria and diarrhea as well as loosing part because your productivity will decrease? Just look around, what hope do you have for yourself and generations in a littered, filthy environment with stench even inhabitable to flies? With this self-imposed civilization, you still throw about feces in black polythene.

Your quest for tertiary education has pushed you to compromise your choice and passion and because nobody needs you due to your limited experience but fairly inadequate knowledge in your field of study, you are in despair, whiles waiting on the deceit to get you a job. Sincerely speaking, they are all liars and Deceits! I harbor pain within me when many of us still think somebody specifically a politician from upper west can get you a job. Things have not change; they are still the same old people. I have the social and moral responsibility to share this: a deputy minister of the current government told me in the privacy of his comfortable office “you know very well this country is faced with acute unemployment and opportunities are limited. So what have you yourself done to get job?” I got annoyed as somebody who knew I voted to get policy makers who will get me a job by all odds is shamefully telling me he and his cohorts cannot confront the situation. I replied, “sir, I know you before 2007 and you knew as well, I have been following you for any job that will earn me a leaving since 2010 and my name is in your searching for jobs register, so I have done something about getting a job” I got amazed by his declaration. “Look sola, if anybody ever told you he can get you a job, it's a lie, they have relatives who are also looking for jobs, you think they will leave them and get you one?” I hope by now you are deciding whether to mark him right or wrong. The rest is unprintable and so I will reserve it. But what I gained from him that last gloomy evening of me and him was a declaration that-nobody needs you sola, but you can make something of yourself. I sincerely hope you declare same. It's possible and simple; be people interest-worth and you will be an intense spotlight of their wise investment. Otherwise, remain blaming the system because you aren't got any relative and service centered politician. And it takes capital to establish oneself which is hardly gotten these days. So the best is to work for someone first and then get capital from that person provided s/he sees an interest in you.

Unfortunately, we have many of this 'Honorable' as DCE's, MP's and Ministers in Ghana and 'gargantuanly' from Upper west. Look at us, the only region without a tarred road to any part in the country, yet over two decade consecutive representation in the National Assembly and Council of State. Travelling to the two most neighboring, Tamale and Bolgatanga is worse than from Wa to Accra. Funny but its real! Our Regional hospital, a charade! Limited banks but large unserved market; thank God multi credit has just opened a branch. An amorphous university, “a local area polytechnic”, and the only region with a one dual carriage road. Oh! Promising but bleak future, my region. The only region with majority of heads of departments and agencies, occupied by non-indigenes. From RCC to all DCCs and Ghana everything Service whiles we have children of proven competence wallowing elsewhere. The Holy Quran reminds us in suratul Rad that “….verily, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves…” (Quran, 13vs 11). Where is the home spirit?

Upper west parliamentary caucus, DCE's, Ministers, Council of State Representatives, Is it not worrying that for two decades you could not negotiate to prioritize infrastructural development in upper west? I know the current situation is you best, best too little, too late. To my reader in Upper west, if you have an impromptu interview in Tamale, Bolga or Accra, which one will you attend? I beg you, please do not choose any of the former, its only Metro Mass that ploughs these roads and breaks down often. Shockingly, you have to book a ticket in advance even before you can or go early morning to have the opportunity to stand all journey long because it is one oversubscribed bus, one route. But for Accra, anytime, you can get a befitting bus for a comfortable and quicker journey.

Thank god, the Japanese government, through almighty God's intervention, has on Thursday, 17th may, 2012, pledge a $13.8m support agreement to provide and maintain CHPS compounds in deprived communities in the region. My plea is that JICA should closely monitor it or else they will watch them divert this one too to other “deserving” regions after all the regions development has for the past, now and in the future “bie ba tierong, ba ba yeehe”. They have a record in watching them divert SADA, Millennium challenge and many to other “deserving” regions. We thank Japan for that God sent support and hope JICA see to its actual implementation.

Whats the point then having you as Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, Naa Seidu, Alban Bagnin, Ambrose Dery, Yeli Chery, Benjamin Kunbour, Porzaa, Rashid Pelpou, Amidu Sulemana? It is even disgusting, continuing the list. If you cannot offer us jobs, couldn't you have facilitated infrastructural development so that the region can be worthy of attracting private investments to offer us jobs? I blame those of us who have the opportunity to do national service with them as research assistants. Do you know that an additional bank or branch in the region will provide you job after your national service Vox pop- assistant? Yes, a job for you and others, more money in each branch for businesses to access for expansion and job creation, more space to safe time at bank. Do you know that an improved transportation will attract and facilitate business from Tamale, Bolga, “Ghana” and within districts in the region? Think twice and advise them or else you will soon roam on the streets of Wa as service is about ending and s/he lacks the political and everything will to get you a job. I am not praying for that but you can see many of those who's national service as vox pop assistants ended before yours are still jobless and hopeless.

For those of us who may not know, in as much as we have confidence in state institutions, let's not forget that a politician is everything in development and underdevelopment. Contemporary development has proven to be advocacy-influence and lobbying based. So a failed politician means a failed constituency/region and needs no more chance. Bob Marley admonished us to “open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied, with the life you are leaving?”

Upper west region: Wa, Lawra, Tumu, Jirapa, Nadowli, Wa West, Wa East, Sissala West, Lambusie; Lecturer, Teacher, Student, Farmer, Laborer, Carpenter, Business Wo/Man, Driver, Father, Mother, Child, Please encourage one, two, ten and all to reason Up, WE ARE SERIOUSLY NOT PART OF GHANA.

The writer is a student of the University for Development Studies, Economics Department.

Moomin Solahudeen Tando
[email protected]
Facebook: Sola Tando
0209021960

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