The Paramount chief of Pulima in the Pulima Traditional Area in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa has challenged the people of Sissala land, particularly the elite, to see the development of the area as an obligation and not an option.
Kuoro Nankpa said the Sissala area has the potential to develop well when the people come together and eliminate tendencies that divide them. Kuoro Nankpa said the disparity in development between Sissala area and other places is glaring when one travels to other parts of the country.
The paramount Chief made this observation when he delivered a paper on the theme ‘Fostering Unity and Bridging the Infrastructural Gap in the Sissala Land, the Role of the Youth’ at Tumu. The presentation was under the auspices of the Sissala Youth Forum as part of its ninth annual conference.
Kuoro Nankpa said it was important for the Sissala youth to ask questions and look back into history, what the situation was, and relate it to where they are today and where they are going.
He indicated that the history of the unity of the political elite of Sissala during the first, second and through to the third republic, was there for all to see. H.E Dr Hilla Limann and his compatriots, such as Imoro Egala, Mumuni Dimbie (late Walembelle Kuoro), Abu Nankpa, Bawol, among others had different political leanings, yet they rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
“Egala was a very brilliant student in his school days, emerging as the Senior Prefect in Tamale and later at Achimota,” according to Prof. R. Bagulo Bening in his book, “Early Education In Northern Ghana”, but somehow Egala had challenges with his brethren at the time.
However, when it mattered most, they rose beyond reproach, thereby producing the first Northern President and ever Sissala President, Dr Hilla Limann. They worked together, got development to the area and positively projected the Sisssala area on the map of Ghana,” Kuoro Nankpa noted.
He said when one looked at the late 90s Sissala political actors, into the early 2000s to 2010, and from 2010 to date, and juxtaposed same with what the situation was in the first republic through to the third republic, you would realize a dwindling peaceful coexistence and collaboration among their political actors to date.
Quoting an adage, the paramount chief said “from our individual weaknesses we shall derive our collective strengths!” “Clearly, we have not galvanized the Sissala Energy as a people enough. The individual energies are exerted in their peak as it stands now, but no synergies to bring them together to produce the aggregate force to realize what is desired by our people.”
On the way forward, Kuoro Nankpa suggested that the Sissalas need to openly discuss their weaknesses and strength without prejudice and suspicion. He entreated those in authority to act in good faith with the people. He advised the political elite to eschew being “used” by other tribes against their own in the name of preferred candidates or best working colleagues or friends.
He said, “We should act with one voice, unity of purpose shelving our individual egos and aspirations, to be in synch with the general good of our people. There is the need for all to do much more to escape the perpetual backwardness the Sissala Land has found itself, struggling since to emerge from the woods”.
For his part, the President of the Sissala Youth Forum, Issifu Napuna Alidu, said the bad nature of roads has negatively affected the provision of health care, education and commerce in the Sissala area.
The Sissala area consists of Sissala East Municipality, Sissala West, Wa East and Lambussie districts. None of these districts or municipalities is linked with tarred roads. Roads such as Han-Tumu, Tumu-Bolga and Tumu-Gwollu among others are in deplorable state even though work started on them several years ago. The situation becomes worst during raining season. Successive governments the President of the Sissala Youth Forum indicated have demonstrated very little commitment in completing work on the roads.
Mr Napuna Alidu said in spite of the area being the largest producer of maize in the north, it has seen very little development in terms of roads and other infrastructure. Mr Napuna Alidu appealed to the government to complete tarring the roads since promises to complete them are yet to materialize.
Story filed by Sualah Abdul-wahab.