By Bakari Shaibu
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a known social Democratic Party by deeds and not just by slogan. The party’s quest to investing in very key economic sectors that impact the lives of rural folks especially the poor has lived with it since its inception in 1992.
Beggining with the Rawlings regime in 1987 where the National Electrification Scheme (NES) was launched in 1987 to extend electricity to every nook and cranny of the country by the year 2020. As part of this programme, the Northern part of Ghana which lacked industries and therefore not considered worthy for extension of electricity by successive governments was considered by Rawlings and therefore captured in its first program with major District Capitals in Northern Ghana setting connected to the National Grid.
Due to the above intervention, Damongo, the then District Capital of the West Gonja District got connected in 1998/99. At the time, aside Damongo township, Laribanga, Mole and Daboya, all other communities were never connected.
For the 8 years of the first NPP government (2001 to 2008) not even a single community was connected to the national grid. The second coming of the NDC government in 2009 saw yet another vigorous and deliberate rural electrification programme which saw many communities connected to the national grid in three different phases.
- Phase one (1), the following communities were connected:
- Busunu
- Nabori
- Achubunyor
- Phase two (2), the following communities were connected by the NDC government led by John Mahama:
- Tailorpe
- Bodukura
- Mempeasem
- Jonokponto
- Bonyanto
- Yipala
- Grupe
- Phase three (3) which was started with all procurements done with some communities wired and other poles sent before the NDC lost power include:
- Kojokura
- Sumpini
- Bidima
- Langantire
- Soalepe
- Murugu
- Mognori
- Kananto
- Kabampe
- Sor No. 1, 2 and 3
- Settlement
- Broto
In effect, the NDC governments (1 and 2) are responsible for the connection of all the communities within the Damongo Constituency with the NPP adding nothing. Even when the NDC left the third phase in their care which was supposed to 2019, they couldn’t work with the template; they deliberately shifted the due date so that it will appear that it is the NPP that connected the lights.
By this article, I will challenge the NPP to show us any document to the effect that their government has signed and executed any rural electrification project. All rural electrification projects were signed and executed by the NDC before leaving office.
I attached herewith the last project the NDC signed which covered almost all the communities under Phase 3 before leaving office. If the NPP has any documentation to the contrary, I challenge them to bring their evidence. They only came to switch lights on without having anything to do with how the funding was sourced and all the major works done before the execution.
It is on record that the NDC brought lights to the Damongo; the NDC fixed the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla Road and Insha Allah, the NDC will come back in 2025 to fix the Damongo water project.
Bakari Shaibu is a branch communication Officer; Damongo constituency Communication team member, NDC Keyboard wizard and a Social media warrior.
12th February, 2024
