By Edzorna Francis Mensah.
The 18-Members of Parliament from the Volta Region together with other prominent citizens from the Region have bemoaned the current status of the Region as they have gathered to chart a new path of development devoid of partisan politics.
They have also described the level of unemployment in the region as a security threat and as duty bearers from the region they need to devote some time and come up with policies to reverse the trend.
Stating the purpose of the 1st Volta Stakeholders Conference in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital, on the topic “harnessing resources of the Region”, to propel development and infrastructural growth of the Region, the Volta Caucus Chairman and MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said the Volta region has over the years produced, and continue to produce some of the finest brains that have contributed immensely towards the socioeconomic development of Ghana but the Region remained under-developed.
He said, the current state of the trunk road linking Accra to the Volta Regional capital Ho, particularly after the Adomi bridge all the way to Ho, is in a bad shape.
Same can be said for the Eastern Corridor Road which he said has become “an albatross around our necks as politicians from the Volta region”.
“The non-operationalisation of the Ho Airport 5 years after its construction is simply unacceptable since that alone could provide hundreds of jobs in the aviation industry value chain for our youth,” according to Mr. Bedzrah.
He said the Ho Teaching Hospital exists only in name without the requisite equipment and the needed resources for full operationalisation.
He expressed worry that “the Keta Harbour project has either been forgotten about or totally abandoned”.
Touching on other sectors, the Volta Caucus Chairman said, “the tourism potential of the Volta region remains largely underdeveloped notwithstanding the great prospects of that industry in the region.”
“Arable lands and large water bodies for agriculture in the Volta region exist but are largely underutilised, yet food prices continue to rise on a daily basis,” he added.
He, however, pointed to the fact that “if we grab the bull by its horns through effective and sustained collaborative efforts such as the one we are having today, these and many challenges facing the region can be tackled.
The conference under the auspices of Volta MPs has brought together all the 18 Members of Parliament, Council of State Members, Business Community, Chiefs, the media, and other relevant persons to discuss developmental issues of the region.
The conference has brainstormed on developmental issues from the perspectives of the government and Volta Caucus on one hand.
It has also paid attention to business leaders from the Region, and Religious leaders as to their expectations of the political representatives on the other hand.
According to him, “the Volta region is looking up to us, as elected representatives of the people and we cannot afford to fail the people because our forebears never failed.”
He maintained that it is imperative they create platforms such as the conference periodically to take stock of their activities and brainstorm on matters of common interest, particularly in relation to the development agenda of the Volta region.
“It is therefore not strange that we as MPs from the Volta region, in collaboration with our revered Chiefs and business leaders have decided to engage in this enterprise,” he added.
The MP noted that, “Citizens from the region on daily basis call to either complain or outrightly pour out their frustrations with the hope that those of us in political positions hold a magic wand to wave in order to get these problems resolved overnight” as he acknowledged that, “the people may not be entirely wrong because we represent them and they have every right to hold accountable”.
The Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa was grateful to the organisers for the initiative and called on all stakeholders to come on board.
He used the occasion to invite MPs and others to participate fully in the upcoming VOLTA trade and investment affair.
He noted that focus of the conference as articulated by the Caucus Chairman was in line with the development agenda of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) economic development plans.
On his part, the NPP MP for Hohoe and only Cabinet Minister from the Region responsible for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, employed colleagues to jointly help develop the region for generations unborn.
He presented an elaborate ongoing plan on areas the railway lines would pass in the region linking other major business communities in the country.
Fiaga of Anfoega and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbega Tepre Hodo VII asked the MPs to propose an amendment to law that established the Ho Airport to make the West Africa Hub and an Aircraft Maintenance Facility to derive the maximum benefits.
According to him, “turn the Ho Airport into a West Africa Hub and to also make it an aircraft maintenance facility, in effect instead of flights terminating at the Kotoka International Airport, we shouldn’t limit from Ho to Accra, from Ho to Kumasi, change the law to fight to Lome, Benin and other Nigeria Cities.”
The Chairman of the conference, Togbega Patamia Dzakley VII lauded the MPs for coming together to discuss challenges to the region and proposed solutions to them.
He was particularly happy to see organizers and MPs interested in the development of a region devoid of partisan politics.
Togbega Dzakley VII further encouraged all to look beyond politics and work as one people with one interest.
