The Savannah Region branch of the opposition New Patriotic Party have quizzed with bewilderment, how a bridge can be started when same is undergoing construction and on the verge of completion.

This rhetorical question by the party in the region is in response to a viral communique asserting the government’s intention of sourcing funds to construct the Daboya, Yapei and Buipe bridges.

Mohammed Issah, the regional secretary of the party in the region in a statement clarified that contrary to claims in the communique, the projects have full funding as procured by the NPP led government and are expected to be completed soon.

The party therefore wondered how such projects can be commenced again when they are already at various stages of completion.

In the statement, the opposition party accused the president of chosen to deceive the Chiefs and people of the Savannah Region by taking undue credit for projects in the region initiated by the erstwhile NPP Nana Addo/Bawumia government.

The statement charged the president to allow sue process to continue and then supervise the completion for the benefit of the people.

The party warned that the president will not be allowed to skew or re-write what’s public knowledge, especially with physical construction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure projects in the region.

In a released by the NPP in Savannah Region, the President’s visit to the region on Saturday 14th June, 2025 as part of his nationwide “Thank You Tour”, was a boisterous yet boringly rhetorical visit to the land of his birth, the Savannah Region.

According to them, It’s trite knowledge that, Mr. Mahama displayed a wishy-washy attitude in his mandate as MP, Deputy Minister, Minister, Vice President and President toward the needs of the region. With a rare second chance to shift the needle this time around, his first official visit after ascending to the Presidential throne showed a walk in the old path-ways of neglect and parched developmental agenda.

It added “As a leader, truth, honesty, and inclusivity are key ingredients to succeed; the President has chosen once again to deceive the Chiefs and people by making ambivalent statements on major projects in the Region started by the erstwhile NPP Nana Addo/ Bawumia government. The simplest of task is to allow the due process to continue and then supervise the completion for the benefit of the people. Mr. President, you will not be allowed to skew or re-write what’s public knowledge, especially with physical construction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure projects in the Region”.

It futher contained that the New Patriotic Party honored the long-cherished dream of the fore-bearers of the land by granting an administrative Region. Alongside, some far-reaching construction of major functional departments as the state-of-the-art Savannah Regional Co-ordinating Council Office complex, Regional Police Headquarters, Regional Health Administration, Regional Education Directorate and a host of others must set the records straight to avoid any project stealing aimed at swaying public opinion to lies and propaganda.

Speaking on the “THE DABOYA, YAPEI, AND BUIPE BRIDGES”, they said the President’s widely circulated communique, mentioning that his government’s intention to construct these bridges, and back home, talking about finding funds to complete them “Ridiculous”.

“How does an ongoing bridge get started again? Which funding is the President talking about when all funding arrangements have been sorted by the NPP government before construction started?” It quizzed.

According to them, the section of road between Kintampo and Tamale on The National Route Ten [N10] lies two main bridges, Yapei and Buipe constructed in 1964 and that the NPP government took responsibility for averting the possible destruction of lives and properties due to the development of structural problems on the bridges over the years;
They stated that;

1. The existing bridges have both exceeded their useful life and are hanging precariously.
2. Loss of concrete cover at joints and loss of protective coating of steel members has accelerated the deterioration of rebars and steel members.
3. The Excessive stresses have caused the concrete to crack at deck slab joints and so on.
4. This informed the NPP’s decision to construct two [2] new bridges over the White and Black volta at Yapei and Buipe.

“The NPP government also aimed at providing direct road connectivity between Daboya and Tamale via Tolon on the IR10 route by constructing a bridge on the white-volta at Daboya in the Savannah Region. For decades, canoe services have provided the means of transportation necessary for these activities” it added.

FINANCIAL DETAILS.
They stated that In July, 2023, Approval was given to a joint memorandum to parliament by the Minister for Finance (Hon. Ken Ofori Atta) and Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Atta (The Minister for Roads and Highways), for the commercial Contract of Eighty-Eight Million Euros [€88,000.000.00] between the Republic of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways and QGMI CONSTRUCCIONES E INFRASTRUCTURAS GLOBALES S. L.U [the project] and The Export Credit Agency Facility of €97, 721, 615.91 between the Republic of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Finance and Standard Chartered Bank [as the arranger, the Structuring Bank, Agent, and the Original Lender] with export credit guarantee from Compania Espanola de Seguros de Credito a la Exportacion S. A [CESCE] to partly finance the project cost and cost of the CESCE insurance premium.

According to the, this arrangement was duly communicated to the good people of Savannah Region and the country by the Roads and Highways Ministry and the then Nana Addo/Bawumia government and that Physical works had started at all 3 sites from beginning to date. “For any out-dated magician of a President to visit his home Region, empty handed, and come pontificating such disjointed stories of funding projects that are already ongoing is laughable. These projects have full funding as procured by the NPP government and are expected to be completed soon. Mr. Mahama and his ndc government have no idea how the project was conceived”.

Again, the Daboya-Mankargu-Fumbisi road is ongoing and near completion. Infact, the Fumbisi end is virtually completed. That end has a couple of layers tarred all through Yagaba-Kubori and into Mankarigu. Mr. Mahama prolly did not see it when he went to campaign in Mankargu because, He might have dozed off during the cozy ride on the road.

“H.E President Mahama must supervise and ensure the speedy completion of that road. His blood brother, Mr. Peter Mahama must be brought back to complete the Busunu end after the full payment of his certificates by the previous NPP government” the released alleged.

It futher added that, the Bunjai-Yapei roads that link the Eastern part of the Region to the Western part is not closer to any story telling President of today and that Mr. Mahama is simply a watchman who must keep an eye on the project to get completed. Nothing more, nothing less.

“The so call Mpaha-Bunjai road is also a myth. There is no such road ongoing or on contract. Such a project would only require a fully constructed bridge on the white volta. This is obviously similar to one of the mythical promises Mr. Mahama made in 2024 elections to put up a road from Mpaha to Salaga. That comedy of a promise has since been abandoned in his recent official visit to the Region” it added.

That they are not going to re-live the painful experience of the criminal explanation that parts of funds for the construction of the Fufulso-Sawla road were used to construct the Daboya-Busunu road. That the Daboya-Busunu road was never done and yet the Fufulso-Sawla too deteriorating badly due to shoddy work after funding was secured by President John Kuffour’s NPP government.

They wish to therefore, on behalf of the people of Gonjaland and for that matter Savannah Region,to remind President Mahama to commission and complete some ongoing major projects as started by the Nana Addo/Bawumia government;

1. The 3 new bridges(Daboya, Yapei and Buipe).
2. The Daboya-Mankargu-Wiaga-Mempeasem roads.
3. The Bunjai-Yapei roads.
4. The Wa-Sawla-Bole-Wenchi asphalting roads.
5. The Salaga-Kpandai, Salaga-Bimbila.
6. The Tuna-Jang roads.
7. The 2 agenda 111 hospitals in Kpalbe and Daboya. Also the Salaga District Hospital.
8. Commision the Broto water project for the people of Damongo and host of others.

The release concluded by reminding President Mahama and the NDC government that, they are in government and must wake up from the deep slumber. “They need to abandon their incurable propaganda and develop the new Region as handed over to them. The time for blabbing and shouting propaganda is far gone. They are in government with the mandate of the people and must get their loins to work” it concluded”.

The Damongo constituency secretariat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), held a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, to raise pressing issues affecting the people of Damongo, the Savannah Regional capital. They expressed disappointment and growing concern over the non-commissioning of the Alternative Damongo Water Supply Project, started by the erstwhile NPP government and completed in December 2024 at a cost of GHC 17,074,13.58.

According to them, the project has been left idle and unutilized due to the refusal of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) under the leadership of Hon. Adams Mutawakilu (Garlus) and the current NDC administration to commission and operationalize the facility. The group accused the government of prioritizing politics over the needs of the people and urged the GWCL to put partisan politics aside and act in the best interest of the people of Damongo.

The full press statement reads:

” PRESS STATEMENT BY CONCERNED CITIZENS OF DAMONGO CONSTITUENCY ON THE NON-COMMISSIONING OF THE COMPLETED DAMONGO ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

DATE: Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Delivered by: Kadiri Abdul-Rahaman, Constituency Secretary, NP-Damongo Constituency (0243962647)

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

Thank you for honoring our invitation within a short notice. Your presence here is very vital as we address a matter of grave concern that threatens public health, human dignity, and well-being of the people of our beloved Damongo.

We, the Concerned Citizens of Damongo, have called this press conference to express our profound disappointment and growing concern over the deliberate refusal by the Ghana Water Company (GWCL) under the leadership of Hon. Adams Mutawakilu (Garlus) and the current NDC administration, to commission and operationalize the Damongo alternative water supply system, otherwise known as the “Broto water.”

The project was started on June 10, 2024, exactly a year today, by Lawyer Abu Jinapor and the NPP government through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources with a loan facility from EXIM BANK. The contract was awarded to Dannak Engineering Company under the supervision of the Ghana Water Company Limited. The project was completed in December 2024 at a cost of GHC 17,074,13.58.

It’s therefore disappointing to allow such a historic edifice that cost the taxpayer over GHC 17 million (170 billion old Ghana cedis) and designed to address the water challenges of our constituency to be left idle and unutilized. The failure to commission this facility not only undermines the purpose for which it was built but also represents a great disservice to the people of Damongo.

We cannot allow the tireless efforts and suffering of our Member of Parliament, Hon. Lawyer Abu Jinapor, to go to waste. More importantly, we cannot ignore the continuous suffering of our people who are in desperate need of safe and reliable water supply.

We are fully aware of Hon. Garlus’s previous comments during the campaign season, where he mocked this very project as “a well water,” claiming Damongo deserved something better. Today, we throw that challenge back at him. If this is indeed just ‘a well water,’ then let him commission it, while we await the better alternative the NDC government promised the good people of Damongo. The people need water now.

In conclusion, we urge the Ghana Water Company under the leadership of Hon. Garlus to put partisan politics aside and act in the best interest of the people of Damongo. Leadership is not about pride and ego; it is about service. To continue holding the people of Damongo hostage over political interferences is not only unacceptable but inhumane. Let it be on record that we will not relent, we will not remain silent, we will mobilize, we will protest, and we will demand accountability until this water project is made fully operational. The people of Damongo deserve clean, safe, and accessible water, and they deserve it now.

#CommissionTheBrotoWaterNow!

Thank you!”

The group also raised concerns about the refusal of the current NDC leadership in Damongo to allow traders to trade in the Damongo weekly market, which was renovated and commissioned by the Damongo MP. This, they argue, is another example of the government’s neglect and disregard for the well-being of the people of Damongo. The group demands that the government takes immediate action to address these pressing issues and prioritize the needs of the people.