Jaman North Threatens NPP

The people of the Jaman North of the Brong- Ahafo Region have cautioned the N.P.P. government to be wary of the activities of the MP and her traditional area or, face the consequences come 2004.

The MP for the Jaman District and also Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Hon. Anna Nyamekye has been accused of being tribalistic, ungrateful to the people of the North whose vote put her in Parliament and killing the N.P.P. in the Northern part of the District.

“The Ghanaian Voice” searchlight in the District observed this when the Assembly held its last session at Drobo on December 2002.

The Jaman District Assembly, which hitherto was very united in diversity, is currently crippled and rendered impotent. The reason is an unfortunate position which has been taken by the people of Drobo which suggests that, the District is Drobo and that every good must be done only, and only, in Drobo.

These unhealthy activities, our reporter discovered is impeding the unity and peace of the area that the government cherished so much. These nefarious activities which is gaining roots at an alarming rate in the District, are blamed on the people of Drobo. The latest of such activities is the boycott of the peoples’ Assembly by Drobos.

A resident from Jaman North has called on the government to keep its eagle eyes on such developments to prevent any eventualities which may require the government spending its scarce resources on conflict resolution in the District.

The Jaman District is without Ghana Telecom facilities and cuts the District out from the rest of the world. There again, our sources had it that; the blame is at the doorsteps of the machinations of the people of Drobo.

Our investigations revealed that somewhere in 1996/7,as a government policy to equip every District with communication facilities selected a Post Office in Japekrom to plant an antenna to connect the District to the rest of the world.

On hearing this, the Drobo traditional council hurriedly put up a Mini-Post Office to litigate the siting of the antenna earmarked for the Japekrom Post Office.

Consequently, Japekrom lost it. Drobo did not get it either and the District lost this important project because government wouldn’t invest in a conflict area.

Based on a petition letter Voice received from a resident from Adamsu in Jaman District (Mohammed) over the Assembly’s decision to change its decision of the previous Assembly to plant an antenna at Adamsu, Voice put its satellite on the District to investigate it.

Our investigation revealed that, the previous Assembly voted overwhelmingly for the antenna to be planted at Adamsu to serve the entire District.

We learnt that the MP who was against the planting of the antenna at Adamsu assured her people at Drobo to use her influence on the Regional Director of Ghana Telecom to reverse the decision of the Assembly on technicalities.

We can report on authority that, the MP has achieved it. Our sources revealed that, through the orchestrations of the MP, the Regional Director of Ghana Telecom, Mr. Peter Kaba, wrote a letter on technicalities to the Assembly, and insulted the intelligence of the previous Assembly.

The new Assembly at its maiden meeting reversed the previous decision.

A resident at Suma-Ahenkro and an N.P.P. stalwart, Mr. Afram Ntow wonders why for pittance, a Professional man like Mr. Kaba should compromise on the ethics of his Profession. The people questioned the technical-know how of the Regional boss and suggested that he goes back to school for re-oriented.

At Adamsu, a man wonders whether Mr. Kaba is suggesting that, should the people of Adamsu purchase themselves an antenna today, it cannot be planted due to poor reception. He said, “even today without an antenna in Adamsu, we receive television programs all right, so what is he talking about”? He queried.

Our source was that the MP masterminded the whole exercise and one Ms. Elizabeth Oba’s motion was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

At Sampa our reporter was told of the people’s indignation and disappointment in Ms. Oba. A resident said, “Ms. Oba is not the people’s representative but a government appointee. I think she is representing the government and that her actions and inaction should be suffered by the government” he stated.

Our investigation showed when the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Dominic Fobi, in the company of his Deputy, Hon. Anna Nyamekye visited the District last year, the MP was hooted at in Sampa over her role in the siting of the antenna. This really frustrated her boss.

The Jaman North did not take the decision of the Assembly kindly. They hinted that, now that the structure for the antenna is completed at Drobo, they have no option but to wait patiently for 2004.

The N.P.P. government can through its appointees deny us development (an antenna). We would change them with our thumb, a resident stated.

In Sampa, a resident who wanted to remain anonymous described Ms. Oba as a political prostitute, because according to the man, she was a very strong member of the N.D.C. but cross-carpet to the N.P.P. due to external influence of his brother Mr. Oba. “How can you depend on such a person to take decisions for the people and to represent the government? You will only have disappointments” he lamented.

We can say by our investigations that the people of the Jaman North are angry with the MP who took an undue advantage of her office to influence Mr. Peter Kaba and the Assembly members. They are very bitter at the government and the DCE as well. “But we form the majority in the District, they shouldn’t forget” a guy told our reporter.

It is further reported that, the MP who is not the initiator of the antenna threw dust into the people’s eyes in believing that she would get another antenna for the people of the North. A resident at Seketia and a former Assembly member said, “the MP should not forget that her predecessor who initiated the program did not live to see the implementation of it when he was voted out”. He lamented the Hon. MP is not current with the history of the District.

The people according to our reporter are not just against the siting of the antenna at Drobo. What they are against is the MP not thinking about the District as a whole. The antenna if planted at Drobo would serve Berekum on the main and a very small part of the District.

The majority in the North claims their beef is the coverage and not the site for antenna.

Berekum they said already has an antenna and even if not, it not the duty of a poor District as Jaman to purchase an antenna for her use.

The MP has further been accused of doing all development projects in her traditional area. Our investigation revealed that all arrangements are finished for the tarring of a road to her village (Drobo- Kwameseikrom).

The interesting aspect of the MP’s show is that, the main Berekum-Sampa road, which is the priority of the District, remains untackled.

The people are asking the government to set its priorities right in the District.

The people in the North told our reporter that the Jaman District which is not the strong hold of the NPP especially the North wonders whether the government is punishing the people for its poor performance in the District.

“We only shifted camp for change and if that what the NPP government calls “Positive Change” we will advise ourselves” a man stated.

In a related development, it is allegedly reported that the Okyeame of the Drobo Traditional area has rejected the state’s (President) Christmas gift, which was given to all Paramount chiefs in the country through the DCEs. Our sources had it that the Okyeame did not allow the State Protocol Officers’ in the District to even enter the Chief’s Palace to present the gifts because they wouldn’t like to see the DCE. This includes drinks and cash of about four hundred thousand cedis. However, the other five- (5) paramount chiefs accepted the gift.

In Suma-Ahenkro, the Okyeame and the people recalled the role Suma played in bringing the District capital to Drobo. The chief linguist said Nana Drobo should cast his mind way back to the days when Drobo was agitating for the District capital and should be appreciative to that effect. “After all, the District is for all of us” he said.

Voice investigation can also report that the people of Drobo are very hostile to the DCE to the extent that some of them including Prof. Tuah have refused to attend Assembly meetings of late. Recent boycott of the peoples’ Assembly by the people of Drobo is but few of the rough tactics they have adopted make the DCE’s work difficult.

It is also reported that, an Assemblyman for the Drobo traditional area organized people to hoot at the DCE and his brother at a funeral. The group later realized that they couldn’t be used for such a dirty business and refused to undertake the venture.

The people also pray a separate District for the North may be they think the only solution to ensure peace and development in the area.

We call on the government to check these unhealthy developments in the District to avoid the unexpected but to ensure development and peace in the District.