Development activities have stalled in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region due to the failure of the District Assembly to elect a Presiding Member.
The Bongo District, one of the most deprived areas in the country compounded with menace such as teenage pregnancy, has been without a PM since 2022 and unable to take critical decisions toward addressing pressing needs of residents, as a result.
In July 2022, the Assembly made an attempt to fill the vacant position, but that was marred by violence which broke-out after the District Chief Executive, Rita Atanga revoked the appointment of 15 Assembly Members and presented her preferred candidate to be elected for the position.
Since then, the Assembly has not successfully been able to convene a meeting to fill the vacancy and pass critical policies that will enable it undertake developmental projects in the area.
“What is happening in Bongo is affecting development in the district. The district is not functioning. How is the district functioning if you don’t have a PM. Just liken it to a corporate body without the board. The assembly members are the board with the PM as the board chair.
They take strategic decisions for implementation by DCEs and their staff. Now, you do not have these people in place, you don’t have a PM, how are you working,” a worried former Presiding Member of the Assembly said.
Speaking in an interview on Breakfast Today, immediate past Presiding Member of the area, Duke Awinsume Anaba disclosed that the assembly could not pass its 2023 annual budget, a Fee Fixing Resolution to raise revenue for development in the fiscal year and an Annual Action Plan due to the impasse.
These 3 are critical in planning developmental projects for the area and generating the needed revenue to execute the planned projects.
Mr. Anaba explained that “Without these 3, it means development cannot proceed. Because so many things will be hanging because you don’t have (assembly)”.
The situation has not only affected the assembly’s ability to raise revenue for development.
The government, in 2022, allocated funds to the assembly and others to undertake certain projects that will improve the living conditions of residents.
While other assemblies are almost through with the implementation of the projects for which the funds were allocated, Mr. Duke Anaba said that of Bongo is still sitting on the accounts of the District Assembly and has lost significant value as activities of the assembly have almost come to a standstill as a result of its inability to elect a PM.
But what will it take to resolve the impasse and elect a PM to have the assembly running?
For Mr. Anaba, the DCE, Rita Atanga must eschew arrogance and work with the party in the area to bring an end to the impasse.
“I know she concedes in her sober moments that she acted wrongly but don’t let pride and arrogance take the better part of you. I call the people even one-on-one or called them into a group and say ‘we are one people with a common destiny. Let’s not destroy this by the singular act of omission or mistake from my side’”.
