The proposal to create a new district from the existing Bole District in Ghana’s Savannah Region has sparked a debate over the selection of its capital, with Tinga and Bamboi emerging as the primary contenders.
On Friday, May 23, 2025, Nnaa Professor Lanjagor Karley II, Paramount Chief of Jama Traditional Area, addressed a press conference on behalf of Nnaa Kwaku Dapaah II, Bamboi Koro and President of the North Mo Traditional Council. He advocated for the creation of a new district in the southern part of the current Bole District, proposing Bamboi as its capital. The chief emphasized that residents from communities such as Jama, Bampewa, Bamboi, Jogboi, Carpenter, Tasilima, and Banda-Nkwanta face significant challenges traveling long distances to Bole, the current district capital, to access essential services.
In response, the Assemblyman for Tinga Electoral Area Hon Dramani Alhassan Kennedy and youth of Tinga have expressed their support for Tinga to be designated as the capital of the proposed new district. They argue that Tinga’s central location within the proposed district boundaries would facilitate equitable service delivery and administrative efficiency. They also highlight Tinga’s larger population and more vibrant economic activities compared to Bamboi.
Read the full press release by the Assemblyman and Youth of Tinga below:
PRESS RELEASE
28TH MAY, 2025
RESPONSE FROM THE ASSEMBLYMAN & YOUTH OF TINGA TO A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHIEF OF JAMA ON FRIDAY 23RD MAY, 2025
Our attention has been drawn to a press conference addressed by the Chief of Jama, Nnaa Professor Lanjagor Karley (II) on behalf of Nnaa Kwaku Dapaah (II) Bamboi Kooro and President of the North Mo Traditional Council.
Speaking the Twi language in a video made public the Chief of Jama highlighted that following H.E. John Dramani Mahama’s victory in the Presidential election, they had a meeting with him at Bole, where several key issues were discussed. One of the primary concerns raised was the creation of a new district south of the current Bole District, with Bamboi designated as the capital. According to Nnaa Kwaku Dapaah (II) Bamboi, President Mahama assured them that they would be invited to the Jubilee House in Accra after his inauguration, and they are currently awaiting this invitation.”
Earlier in January, 2025, the Chief of Jama Nnaa Professor Lanjaagor Karley (III) appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to create a new district from the existing Bole District, with Bamboi proposed as the capital. He highlighted the challenges residents face, traveling long distances from communities like Jama, Bampewa, Bamboi, Jogboi, Carpenter, Tasilima, and Banda-Nkwanta to access essential services in Bole.
We are aware there is growing advocacy for creating a new district from the current Bole District.
We are also aware Traditional leaders from the North Mo area have petitioned for this, citing the vast distance 152 km from Bamboi to the current district capital, Bole, which hampers effective governance.
We are aware that the people of Bamboi have argued that Bamboi possesses essential infrastructure, including a police station, banking services, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and some operational markets, making it suitable for district administration.
We however wish to point out that there is no essential infrastructure in Bamboi that Tinga do not have.
We the people of Tinga in the current Bole District have since many years ago expressed a strong desire for our town to be designated as the capital of any new district that would be carved out of the Southern part of the current Bole District.
A petition dated 19th September, 2017 addressed to the then Minister for Local Government and Rural Development through the then Minister for the Savannah Region outlined our reasons why Tinga should be the capital of a proposed District in the Southern part of the current Bole District.
The Tinga community’s advocacy for Tinga as the new district capital stems from a desire for equitable development and improved access to administrative services.
We believe that establishing Tinga as the capital would address longstanding concerns about resource allocation and infrastructural development in the area.
We know the decision on the new district’s capital will involve assessments by the Ministry of Local Government, considering factors like infrastructure, economic viability and so on.
Below are the compelling reasons Tinga is the most suitable for the administrative capital of the New proposed District:
*Population and Size*
Tinga has a larger population and is bigger on size than any other town in the current Bole District besides Bole.
As of the latest available data, Tinga has a population of approximately 17,000 residents according to 2020 population census residents. In comparison, Bole, the district capital, has an urban population of about 39,129, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
*Central Location of Tinga*
In the proposed creation of a new district in the southern part of the current Bole District, Tinga stands out as the most centrally located town. The envisioned district is expected to begin just after Maluwe heading southward to Bamboi. With this layout, Tinga offers a geographical advantage. It’s central position ensures that surrounding communities will have relatively easier access to administrative services if Tinga is chosen as the district capital. This makes Tinga a strategic choice for effective governance, equitable development, and accessibility for all parts of the proposed district.
*Economic Potential of Tinga:*
Tinga boasts substantial economic prospects:
– *Mining:* The town is rich in gold deposits. In 2020, the government launched the Tinga Community Mining Scheme to promote regulated small-scale mining, aiming to create employment and boost local revenue.
– *Agriculture:* A significant portion of Tinga’s population engages in agriculture, cultivating crops like maize, millet, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, cowpea, yam, and cassava. Cash crops such as cashew, shea, mango, and dawadawa are also prominent. Tinga therefore has an Agriculture office.
– *Forestry:* The area is endowed with economic trees like shea and dawadawa, which are harvested and processed, especially by women, contributing to both local consumption and exports. Tinga therefore has Forestry commission office.
*Existing Infrastructure:*
Tinga is equipped with essential facilities that support its candidacy as a district capital:
– *Security:* The town has a functioning police station, enhancing law enforcement and community safety. It also has a well furnished National Ambulance Station.
– *Healthcare:* Tinga hosts healthcare facilities including the Tinga town Health Center and a Polyclinic at Benyukon near Tinga and many CHPS compounds providing primary health services to residents.
– *Education:* The town has educational institutions, including a Senior High School, 4 Junior High schools, six primary schools contributing to the educational development of the area.
– *Water Supply:* Tinga benefits from a small water system, ensuring access to potable water for its inhabitants.
– *Market:* The town hosts one of the district’s four major market centers, facilitating trade and commerce. The Tinga market is the biggest in the current Bole District generating much local revenue for the current Bole District.
*.Fuel Stations:*
Tinga town currently boasts four fuel stations, including one Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) station. These facilities provide a full range of petroleum products, serving not just residents of Tinga but also surrounding communities and travelers along the key transit routes. This level of energy infrastructure highlights Tinga’s growing commercial significance and its readiness to support expanded economic activities and district-level administration.
The above economic activities and infrastructural assets position Tinga as a viable candidate for district capital status, promising enhanced administrative efficiency and regional development.
Signed
Dramani Alhassan Kennedy
Assemblyman
0546455850
Mr Yussif Zackaria
Youth Chairman
0241972696
Mr Abudulai Dari
Youth Treasurer
0248470325
