Pusiga and Garu-Tempane want new District and Constituencies

Pusiga (UE), Dec. 29, GNA- The Chiefs and People of the Pusiga traditional area in the Upper East Region have called on Government to create a new district for the area, to help speed up development. Naba Ibrahim Akwaka Ayumah made the call on behalf of his people, when the Minister of the Interior, Mr Martin Amidu called on him on Tuesday, as part of his visit to the region, to express gratitude to the chiefs and people in the Region, on behalf of government.

The Chief stressed that the Pusiga traditional area, which was under the Bawku Municipality, was by population, resources and all the measuring standards, qualifies to be a separate District. He pointed out that currently, Bawku Municipality has three constituencies, which was so large and makes it difficult to meet the challenges and aspirations of the people in the area. The said for effective administration, there was the need to consider the creation of a new District at the Pusiga Traditional Area, because it had the requisite population and resources to be on its own to speed up development.

He said the current situation was not the best because it was putting pressure on the Municipal Chief Executive and the entire staff of the Municipal Assembly.

In response, the Interior Minister said he had no doubt about the economic viability of the area and that the area was a District Council during Nkrumah's regime and became a Constituency under the NDC governmen= t. He told the chiefs and people that he would convey the message to the Ministry of Local Government and assured the people that when the 2010 census report is completed and the area meets the requirements, it may be considered.

In another development the Chiefs and People of the Garu-Tempane has also called for the creation of two constituencies instead of the one the area currently has. The Chief of Tempane, Francis Akolwine III, who made the call stressed that the population of the Garu-Tempane District had increased beyond one constituency and was putting pressure on the one Member of Parliament in th= e area. The Chief also appealed to Government to convert the Garu-Tempane Senior High School into a boarding one, to enable it to admit more students= ..