Residents of Sherigu, a suburb of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region have threatened to vote against the NDC government if e community is not connected to the national grid.
They also want their roads which they say are in deplorable condition fixed.
According them, several appeals to government to fulfill promises made to them have not yielded any results.
With a population of twenty-four thousand (24,000) and a voter population of about ten thousand(10,000), residents in Sherigu are predominantly farmers and basket weavers.
The residents took to the streets of Nyokorkor holding placards with the inscription ‘No Light No Vote’. According to them, the absence of power in the community has led to high rate of robberies.
Spokesperson for the group Mr. Anthony Asakisango told Citi News, the situation is also affecting teaching and learning and their livelihoods, hence their vow to vote against the NDC if their needs are not met before December 7.
we have been demanding for electricity since the NDC took over in 2009 and today, the rural electrification project is currently ongoing but Sherigu is not a beneficiary why?
“Several calls for the rehabilitation and construction of the Bolgatanga-Sherigu road which the NDC government promised severally have fallen on deaf ears. Due to the absence of electricity in Sherigu, robberies and deforestation is on the rise particularly in the night. Students in the community cannot learn in the night due to the absence of light hence affecting education in the area. Since 1992, residents in Sherigu have been voting for the NDC, we are very disappointed in the NDC government that if we(the people of Sherigu) don’t see light before December 7, we will vote massively against the NDC and President John Mahama,” Asakisango stated.
According to the nurse in-charge of the Nyokorkor health post Madam Esther Awah, the absence of electricity connection in the area is affecting health care delivery.
“when nurses are posted to CHPS Compounds they are suppose to stay there but for the past eight years because there is no lights we don’t sleep here and when you are here along without lights, you are not safe. we don’t also deliver pregnant women here because of the absence of lights, they are referred to the next CHPS compound where there is lights.”
–
By: Frederick Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana