The Paramount Chief of the Sirigu Traditional Area, Naba Atogumdeya Roland Akwara III, has expressed his deepest disappointment over the failure of government to fix a major broken bridge that connects the community to Zorkor, Bolgatanga, the regional capital and runs through to Paga despite several appeals to duty bearers.
According to the Chief, he visited all stakeholders who matter from the regional to the national level, made follow up visits and was compelled to lead a demonstration yet, their call for the broken bridge to be fixed have gone unheard.
It would be recalled that in August 2023, the people of Sirigu led by community leaders embarked on one of the biggest demonstrations in the history of the Upper East Region to make a case for the fixing of the bridge over the Sirigu-Kadare rivers in the Kassena Nankana West District.
The then Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, in February 2023, visited the site and told the people that he was exploring a temporary solution while hoping to for a permanent fix by the central government.
He also said that steps would be taken to have some logs of wood impeding the flow of water removed.
But more than a year after that promoucment, no step has been taken to provide the temporary solution or remove the logs by designated agencies as communicated by the then minster who has since been moved to Upper West.
With the rains expected to intensify, the site, which remains a threat to motorists, will compound access to healthcare, education and market centres for many people since tricycles no longer have access.
Speaking over the weekend at an event that saw the Paramount Chief outdoor 10 divisional chiefs and queen mothers and the commissioning of a new Fire Service post in the community, Naba Atogumdeya III expressed utmost disappointment over the failure to construct the bridge.
According to him, the people of Sirigu will only give a listening ear to politicians who show commitment to addressing their developmental needs such as fixing the broken bridge in the lead up to the December elections.
“I followed all government officials to fix our broken bridge but all efforts went into the drain of the big river in Accra. I don’t care about the party that people belong to, I only want to develop for my people. The bridge has not been fixed. I am not happy with that. Mr. Aloo, my brother, get this to your party. I am not happy that our bridge has not been fixed.” He decried.
He further called on residents and politicians to be civil and conduct themselves peacefully, before, during and after the December, 2024 elections.
