Majority of assembly members of the Tolon District Assembly in the Northern Region are mobilizing their people to demonstrate against government over their communities’ exclusion from the rural electrification grid.
According to the aggrieved assembly members Spokesperson, A. Rahaman A. Dohbia, about 52 communities within three Area Councils are not connected to the rural electrification grid.
They have therefore given government a one week ultimatum to respond to their plea or else they will campaign against President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their electoral areas.
As the assembly man for Yoggu electoral area, A. Rahaman A. Dohbia accused government of selectively connecting communities that are known to be NDC strongholds in the district.
“The district has six area councils and three of these namely, Tolon Area Council, Tali Area Council and Yoggu Area Council have been constantly neglected when it comes to rural electrification by successive NDC governments: 20 communities connected in 16 years of the NDC rule, only three out of 52 communities in these three area councils have been connected to the national grid.”
“We the concerned assembly members of the Tolon District Assembly have followed and observed with keen interest the history of rural electrification in the district over 24 years now and with the partisan politics taking a centre stage of our local governance structure, discrimination against some areas has assumed a stage that needs to be checked as it poses a threat to the existing peace in the area.”
He recalled that in 2012, the Concerned Assembly Members group presented a petition to government and other relevant statutory bodies over the matter.
This A. Rahaman Dohbia said has been fruitless. “That discriminatory status quo is still maintained and this situation is creating tension in these areas and questions as to how and why these areas are left out remained unanswered.”
He served notice saying, “We are giving the authorities concerned to come out and explain to us circumstances that led to this situation in these areas in unambiguous and comprehensive terms within one week and failure to do so the group will be compelled to organize the people in these communities for a peaceful protest to register our displeasure.”
“We will also like to make it clear that we will at all times stand against any form of discrimination against any area irrespective of the location and whether we are affected or not,” A. Rahaman warned.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana