NDC Losing Volta Region

Research conducted by the Today’s newspaper news team indicate that thousands of residents in what is known as the National Democratic Congress’

(NDC’s) ‘World Bank, the Volta Region, have made up their minds not to cast their votes for that party come the 2012 General Election.

And they have taken that decision following their heavy disappointment with the party’s inability to fulfill its campaign promises made to them in 2008. That interesting trend was discovered in a recent tour to the northern part of the Volta Region, to several areas, including Kpando District, Hohoe District, Jasikan District, Kedjebi District, Nkwanta District.

The purpose of the tour was to gather firsthand information on the current state of the road networks in that part of the country following claims by the Mills administration that its “Better Ghana” agenda and counter-claims by people in the region that they have seen no development.

In the communities in the districts we toured, ‘Today’ found out that motorists and passengers endure very painful experience plying the bad roads, especially the Kedjebi-Nkwanta highway, which links the regional capital, Ho, and Aflao on the coast to the three regions of the north and qualifies as a shorter alternative to the Kumasi-Sunyani route to the north.

The situation gets worse when there is a heavy downpour, residents said adding that, the potholes collect liquid mud and drivers either refuse to ply the road or charge more. They told of the human lives and billions of cedis in properties lost on the roads due to fatal accidents.

They also had complaints about how armed robbers take advantage of the slower than usual traffic on the highways due to the bad nature of the roads to ambush vehicle and rob passengers.

Talking to people in the streets and other public places revealed disillusionment with the NDC, and the shocked revelation that the party’s votes could drop considerably following its inability to deliver on its campaign promises.

Indeed, through this survey, the paper discovered that majority of Volta Region youth, especially in the lowest brackets, have made up their minds not to go near the polling station on election day in 2012 let alone cast their vote.

Residents of Volta Region have consistently voted massively for the NDC. And those we spoke to said they did same during the 2008 General Election particularly because of the “sweet” promises by the party leader, now President Mills, that when voted into office he will make sure the bad roads in the region are reconstructed to make them pleasurably motorable.

It is close to three years since the NDC has been in office, but there is no sign that they are going to fulfill their promises, says Mama Joyce.

A driver, who normally plies the Kedjebi-Nkwanta highway and other branch roads, Mr. Alidu a driver of that area, lamented the bad nature of the roads, and lambasted the Mills administration for turning deaf ears to their cry for the highway to be repaired. He further expressed their disappointment over the government’s failure to address their plight-providing them with better and very conducive roads.

Apart from the bad roads, some of the respondents also complained about lack of employment opportunities. Aminu Abubakar pointed out that there was unemployment in the Kufuor era and the NDC promised to create jobs to give hope to the many unemployed youth, but they are still waiting for the jobs, except that the situation has gone from bad to worse.

“What we want from the government is good motorable roads and not empty promises which we have heard repeatedly in the past,” he said.

A group known as S Boys in the area pointed out that “Sometimes we are little confused, because we wonder whether we the inhabitants of the Northern part of the Volta Region are part of Ghana… Our developmental status is very poor – no job for the youth, our health situation is horrific. So are we part of this country, my brother. My answer is a big ‘No,” said the group.

The group added there has been media report on some of the major roads here, we have heard government has obtained a loan from China and some of it will be used to develop this road. Where is the money?”

According to them, the neglect of the northern part of the Volta Region has been going on for decades. The trouble is that the Kedjebi Nkwanta highway is our only link to the rest of the country. If it becomes unmotorable, we will be cut off,” observed Timothy Sukulomu.