Bongo District In Focus–Challenges And Potential Of Bongo District: Part 2

Hon. Albert Abongo, NDC MP For Bongo Constituency

As described in Part 1 which discussed the profile, Bongo District is one of the many Districts in Ghana. It has contributed in diverse ways towards the development of Ghana. Even though the District is one of the least developed districts in Ghana, it is endowed with varying natural, human, social and physical resources. On the other side, it equally faces numerous developmental challenges.

Human resources: Bongo has a population of eighty-four thousand five-hundred and forty-five (84, 545) with 40, 084 and 44, 461 for male and female population respectively. Many of its citizens are prominent personalities contributing to institutional and organizational goal achievement across various government, private, and international levels. Even most of its uneducated youth who travel to the southern part of Ghana are being used as farm labour and other physical enduring works and services. The migrant ladies also work in very enduring conditions in restaurants, chop bars, spots, and other places of work. Without the services of these energetic Bongolese, it is possible some areas of work would record low productivity.

Social capital: Bongo District is one of the most PEACEFUL AND STABLE districts in the history of Ghana and its people (mainly Frafras (Boosi)) are wonderful and delightful people to live with. Peace and stability is a resource that is gifted to Bongo by God of which other areas across the globe are yeaning for. Aside that, the citizens are generally friendly and hospitable. They live together in harmony and provide social support to one another. Communal work is eminent and they provide social insurance to one another especially during funerals, outdooring, marriage, and disasters. There are social institutions such as the chieftaincy, family, schools, churches, mosques, youth groups, women groups, and civil society groups that provide platforms for interaction, discussion, and sharing of experiences. The people of Bongo District cherish certain values and these values form part of their daily lives and interactions. Among these values include, brotherhood, love for others, friendliness, hard work, respect for the elderly, obedience, honesty, marriage, family life, and peace. Festivals such as Azambene, Adaankoya, and Kibisi are celebrated every year and these festivals brings the citizens both near and far together to reunite, reintegrate and share.

Natural resources: The whole of Bongo District is covered with rock deposits and hills which is a good potential for stone query and stone designing. The shapes, size, line-up and arrangement of the rocks also provide tourist attraction to both indigenes and outsiders. The soil components include silt, gravel, clay, sand and loam. The clay is raw material for local pottery whiles the sand, silt and gravel are use for constructional purposes. These soils are also good for farming millet, groundnuts, beans, among other cereal and leguminous crops. The rock beneath the surface soil enables the drilling of boreholes and construction of dams. The district has river bodies that provide water for animals. Another blessed natural resource is the sunshine which is very high in the district and this provides an opportunity for producing solar/thermal energy in large quantities. The savannah vegetation and climate make it very suitable for animal husbandry such as livestock, poultry, cattle, piggery, among others.

Physical resources: Bongo District has several road infrastructures linking it to other areas including Burkina Faso. Apart the main road from Bolga to Bongo, there is feeder roads linking all the communities in the district making communication and mobility very comfortable. The district has five Secondary schools, all of which are public, several primary and Junior High schools which provide educational access to the citizens. A District Assembly is available and responsible for the day-to-day administration of the district. There is District Hospital in Bongo and several health facilities across the length and breadth of the District ensuring that Bongo District has healthier citizens. A rural bank is available to provide loans and financial assistance for businesses to flourish. Market structures are also available for selling and buying.

Economic resources: A lot of economic opportunities and resources exist in the district. Almost all the major communities in the District have market centers that provide avenues for trading. Due to the high population, demand for goods and services are very high and traders make a lot of profit. One factor that makes trading in the District very profitable is that market days. The market day for each community comes every three days interval and these communities are not far from one another so almost every day is a market day for the people of Bongo district. Business opportunities exist in areas of provisions, stationary, body wear, sachet drinking water, livestock trading, and so much more. Farming especially raising livestock and poultry is also a booming business opportunity. The Bongo Rural Bank exists to offer support to businesses to thrive so this is an avenue to go for loans and other financial services to grow and expand businesses. Other economic opportunities exist in areas of shea butter production, pito brewing, dawadawa processing, basketry, pottery, and weaving.

Despite all these potentials, the District is least developed due to several challenges. The major hindrance to District's development is low education. With high percentage of illiteracy, many of the people are unable to read and write and this can partly be blamed on poverty and ignorance. Even though the District has expanded coverage in terms of school infrastructure, many children are still not in school. Drop- out rate is also on the increase due to teenage pregnancy and lack of parental support to wards. Widowhood rites and other unfavorable cultural practices such as force marriage, levirate marriage, early marriage and child servitude need to be abolished completely. Other social problems include health hazards due to excessive drinking of alcohol, drug abuse.

The District has also gain less attention from central government, multilateral development agencies and the private sector. Civil society such as NGOs has over the years play significant role in the development of the District. With a total of Five Senior Schools, one would expect the government to establish a college -Nursing, Teacher Training or any tertiary/higher level school to absorb the increasing number of students turn out from these schools, but this is not to be.

It is said that healthy people build healthy nations; therefore the health needs of the District needs much attention especially supply of medical staff and health workers to serve the increasing demand for health care. Already, maternal and infant deaths are frequent due to limited healthcare delivery. Most of the health care centers have not adequate staff, medical equipment and items for good service delivery. CSM is prone due to higher temperatures during dry season.

The District is again faced with severe environmental degradation due to deforestation. Harmattan is also common due to the location of the District in the Sudan Savannah zone. Economic challenges include poverty (low incomes), youth unemployment, and price increase in goods and services. `

The Bongo District Assembly and its citizens really need to take critical examination of the potentials available and utilize them to solve the problems facing them. Without you knowing your assets and liabilities it would be very different for you to development as the saying goes 'use what you have to get what you want'. Bongo District is blessed with varying resources and we should take advantage of that to develop ourselves.

Ibrahim Abu Azabre
Citizen of Bongo
[email protected]
0261829999