Volta Region Must Awaken: Loyalty Without Development Is Slavery

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For decades, the Volta Region has been branded the political heartbeat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). From town halls to village squares, one hears echoes of loyalty—steadfast, generational, and unshaken. Election after election, the people of the Volta Region have risen to support the NDC with unmatched passion and numbers. But a painful question now arises: what has this loyalty yielded in return?

The Legacy of Rawlings — The Only Echo

The only notable figure from the Volta Region to rise to the presidency under the NDC is the late Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings. He brought pride to the region and cemented its place in Ghana’s political map. However, even Rawlings’ tenure—though admired—left gaps in the actual developmental upliftment of the Volta Region. Since his exit from political leadership, no other son or daughter from the Volta land has ascended to such high office within the NDC, despite their unwavering support.

This raises a disturbing paradox: Why has a region that gives so much received so little?

The Neglect: Roads, Institutions, and Opportunities

Take a drive through the inner towns of Volta—from Keta to Anfoega, from Akatsi to Hohoe—and the evidence is alarming. Poor roads, under-resourced schools, struggling healthcare centers, and lack of major infrastructure define the region’s current state. Rural electrification is patchy. Economic empowerment initiatives are minimal. The youth remain stranded, their hopes tied to promises that never materialize.

Ironically, during the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), especially under the HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Country) initiative, we saw modest yet tangible infrastructural development: the construction of school buildings, some road improvements, and attempts to open the region to national investment. This was from a party the region has historically rejected.

The NDC, in contrast, has taken the Volta Region's loyalty for granted—assuming it is automatic, inherited, and invincible. This must stop.

Division of the Region: A Wake-Up Call?

In 2019, the NPP government spearheaded the creation of new regions, carving out the Oti Region from the northern part of the Volta Region. Many criticized the move, calling it politically motivated. However, others saw it as a strategic redirection—a chance to focus development, allocate resources better, and break a cycle of neglect.

What has become evident is that many people in the newly created Oti Region now feel seen and heard. Development is slowly beginning. Is this what the Volta Region needed all along? A breakaway to breathe?

The Problem of Political Ownership Without Stewardship

The NDC has "owned" the Volta Region in votes but abandoned it in action. Political ownership without stewardship is a betrayal. Voting is not a spiritual covenant—it is a social contract. And when that contract is broken, it must be renegotiated or revoked.

The Volta Region must begin to ask hard questions:

• Why do our roads remain deplorable?
• Where are our universities and research centers?
• Why are our youth still traveling to Accra and Kumasi for opportunities?
• What tangible benefits has our political loyalty brought to our people?

Time for a Political Reawakening
It is time the Volta Region wakes up. This is not a call to switch parties blindly, but to think critically, vote strategically, and demand accountability. A party must not own your identity. The ballot is not a gift to be given in hope—it is a tool to be used wisely.

The NDC has had its chance for decades. If they fail to present a clear, measurable, and urgent plan for the transformation of the Volta Region, then the people must think differently. Not out of bitterness, but out of wisdom.

This is a call to the chiefs, the youth, the women, the elders, the thinkers, and the dreamers of the Volta Region: enough is enough.

Loyalty is not submission. Love for heritage is not enslavement to a party that shows no love in return.

A New Dawn Is Possible
Let the region arise, not in anger but in awakening. Let the votes speak for real change—not party slogans, not recycled manifestos, not staged compassion.

Let every Volta child, sitting on a cracked school bench or walking miles to fetch water, be the reason we ask more from our leaders. Let every unemployed graduate be the reason we refuse to give away our votes cheaply.

Let Volta rise—not just as a voting bloc, but as a force for accountability, development, and dignity.

We have praised. We have waited. We have believed.

Now, we must demand.
The NDC continues to fail the Volta Region, therefore, Volta must do what it has never done before: vote for its future, not for its past.

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By Eric Paddy Boso