Wawasua community charges politicians

From Michael Boateng
The people of Wawasua, a farming community in the Sunyani Municipality, have vowed not to take part in the December 7 polls if their desire to be connected to the national electricity grid is not met immediately.

According to members of the community, they had been neglected by past and present political administrations, and it was time to say, 'Enough is enough to politicians who always give juicy promises during electioneering campaign periods.'

At a press conference organised in the community, the Assembly Member for the area, Augustine Manu Danquah, indicated it was a pity that politicians play with the intelligence of the electorates just for political power.

He disclosed further that aside Wawasua being denied electricity, the road linking the community to Sunyani was very deplorable. They also had no health facility, whilst the Community Clinic Project started under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative, which is about 80% completed, has been abandoned to be overgrown by weeds.

Mr. Danquah further indicated that the community had over 500 houses, with a total number of inhabitants of over 1,600, but due to lack of electricity, health facility, potable water and a good road, the economic standard of the people was very awful.

He said teachers refused postings there because of the lack of these facilities, thereby affecting teaching and learning in the community, with the majority of the schoolchildren ending up dropouts, whilst the few who pursue end up being Primary Six and Junior High School (JHS) graduates.

The Assembly Bember for the community disclosed that in an effort to rectify the situation, the members of the community agreed on a self-help initiative to connect Wawasua to the national electricity grid by levying themselves some amounts of money.

He said members of the community willingly supported the idea and started paying their respective quota to make their dreams become a reality to help boost the economic status of the people of Wawasua.

However, when the proposal was presented to the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Kwasi Oppong Ababio, he commended the efforts of the community members, and assured them that they would be added to the government electricity expansion project of the Assembly, so the money mobilised should be used for another project in the community.

Mr. Danquah continued that despite the assurance by the MCE, over a year ago, nothing had been done to show the Assembly's commitment towards connecting Wawasua to the electricity grid.

Also, on the issue of the abandoned health project and the poor nature of the road, nothing purposeful had been done, hence the decision of the members of the community not to vote in this year's general elections.

The leader of the women in the community, ObaapaninYaa Fosua, added that as women, they were the worst victims of the situation, because they have to carry pregnant women who are in labour on bicycles and motorbikes several kilometres before reaching Sunyani for proper medical attention, which sometimes leads to the death of the women, and children at birth.

'We are not going to vote if our road, clinic and the electricity is not provided before December 7, 2012,' ObaapaninYaa Fosua stressed.

She appealed to the government and the Municipal Assembly to urgently come to the aid of the people of Wawasua, because they had been neglected for far too long.