The Member of Parliament for the Salaga North Constituency in the North East Gonja District of the Savannah Region, Alhaji Alhassan Mumuni, has expressed optimism that the constituency will secure a senior high school before the end of the tenure of the ruling National Democratic Congress under President John Mahama.
According to him, education is a critical issue that must not be overlooked.
“The North East Gonja District is a young district and a rural one at that. We need to prioritize education so we can train our children to boost the human resource capacity, which will ultimately lead to the overall development of the area,” he stated.
“We don’t have a senior high school, so most of the children have to travel far to access secondary education, putting pressure on the limited resources of parents. I made a commitment that I would ensure the area gets a senior high school, and by the grace of God and with the support of government, I will fulfill this promise before the expiration of President Mahama’s term,” he assured.
Health and Access to Water
The North East Gonja District is one of the beneficiaries of the Agenda 111 hospital projects currently ongoing across the country.
However, access to water remains a major challenge for residents, whose only sources of water are dams, dugouts, and streams.
“Our water table is low, and our dams dry up due to harsh weather conditions, particularly between February and June. I will work with the assembly to see how we can improve the water situation,” Alhaji Mumuni pledged.
Local Governance Challenges
Since its creation in July 2019, the North East Gonja District Assembly has lacked the necessary infrastructure to operate effectively.
The absence of office space and staff accommodation has forced many employees to commute daily from Tamale.
“We don’t have offices, so our assembly staff sit under trees to work. They also lack accommodation, including the DCE, which poses a huge challenge for the day-to-day running of the assembly,” he explained.
The North East Gonja District was carved out of the East Gonja Municipality in 2019.
