Residents with structures along the Tumu-Leo road corridor in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region have been given a two-week ultimatum to vacate the area to pave the way for the expansion and construction of inner roads in Tumu, particularly the Tumu-Leo road.
The directive was issued during an engagement involving the Tumu landlords, traditional authorities, affected residents and the Member of Parliament for Sissala East, Issah Mohammed Bataglia.
The exercise is expected to particularly affect owners of houses, kiosks, Ghana Commercial Bank PLC, VRA, containers and other structures located within the road reservation.
Speaking on behalf of the Tumu Landlord, Jantina Baba Tommie Kanton, his secretary, Godfred Baveru Kanton, said the road reservation had existed for more than 80 years and had historically been recognised as an international route.
He therefore urged all persons who had encroached on the road corridor to begin preparations to relocate.
“Those of us who have encroached on the road, he wants them to go and prepare themselves and move so that the road construction will take place. Within two weeks, they will start the demolition,” Baveru Kanton emphasised.
He particularly appealed to owners of kiosks and container shops to start dismantling their structures and salvage materials that could be reused before the demolition exercise begins.
The traditional authority also cautioned local political actors against interfering with the process, stressing that the road project was important to the future development of Tumu.
The Member of Parliament for Sissala East, Issah Mohammed Bataglia, said the engagement was intended to foster cooperation between the affected residents and stakeholders to ensure the road project was successfully implemented.
He acknowledged that the demolition exercise could be painful for some residents but said the broader economic benefits of opening up the area should also be considered.
“Even though painful, we see the vision is bigger than just the individual pain,” Bataglia stated.
According to him, improved road connectivity, particularly towards the Burkina Faso border, could unlock new opportunities in trade, transportation and employment.
Adding that the project could also create opportunities for young people to venture into transportation and other businesses.
“If we open up the road towards Burkina Faso, it will open the cargo traffic towards that area, and that will give the young people some jobs to do,” he said.
Issah Bataglia said he would engage the relevant authorities and other stakeholders on measures to minimise the impact of the demolition on affected residents.
He stressed that the development agenda should not worsen the circumstances of people already facing economic challenges.
“The actual essence of the purpose of the President is not to impoverish the already suffering people; it is to make their life better,” he said.
He therefore expressed confidence that interventions would be considered to lessen the burden on affected residents.
The Tumu landlords and traditional authorities have expressed strong support for the road development programme, describing it as an important intervention to open up the Sissala area and stimulate economic activity.
The traditional authority has also appealed to government and the Roads Ministry to consider its preferred contractor, Mawums Construction Limited, for the Tumu road works, citing its previous capacity to execute road projects in the area.
The development forms part of broader efforts to improve road connectivity in the Sissala East Municipality and strengthen links towards the Burkina Faso border.
For affected residents along the Tumu-Leo stretch, however, the two-week deadline means they must now make urgent decisions about their properties and businesses as preparations begin for the road works.
Story by Ibrahim Abubakari Wangara
