Three communities in the Kumbungu constituency of the northern region have declared their intention not to vote in this year’s general election. The communities are Kumbungu-Kukuo, Dulizugu and Yipelagu.
Chiefs from the communities, together with members of the two major political parties, the ruling NDC and the opposition NPP, took the decision after the failure of successive governments to provide them with basic social amenities.
The three communities, all located along the Tamale-Kumbungu road and with a population of about 1,200 residing in 120 houses have been without electricity since Ghana attained independence.
Successive governments and MPs have failed to connect the communities to the national grid, even though they are about three kilometers away from the regional capital-Tamale, with high tension electricity pylons passing through them.
Community members say they are tired of empty promises from politicians and will only exchange their votes with electricity, come November 7, 2016. Until government provides them with electricity, no single person from the three communities will visit any polling station on Election Day to vote.
As the political parties gear up for their campaigns, the community members warned politicians not to make any attempt to set foot to campaign in the communities or risk embarrassing themselves should they venture.
The communities, last year petitioned the government over the same issue and have decided to renew the petition in what they described as the last one to the government, the MP for the area, all political party aspirants, the electoral commission, and the traditional Area.
The chiefs and elders of the communities, at a very charged meeting on Saturday told Zaa News that they have had enough of the deception by politicians and would not tolerate it any more.
The chiefs told Zaa News at their various palaces that they are solidly behind the decision taken by their people, adding that the youth even took their ideas because they have thought over it long ago.
“Look at my community and my age, no toilet, no electricity, nothing from government and yet we have been voting people into power”, Dulizugu Lana, Iddrisu Zakaria lamented.
A community member, Mahama Seidu spoke to Zaa News about their decision and how the lack of electricity is affecting the communities’ development, said, residents in the area feel neglected in the implementation of the national development agenda even though they vote and pay taxes.
The youth in the communities, Mr Seidu noted, are migrating to urban areas for greener pastures relegating agriculture to the background.
Women in the communities told Zaa News they been compelled to travel to adjourning communities to grind their shea-nuts and other grains to cook for their families making them stay away from home for several days.This situation turns to increase poverty among impoverished people the women said.
School children in the communities the women added find it difficult to read in the night. According to them, it impedes their access to sharing information with the outside world.
Assembly man for Yagra Fong electoral area, Mr. Mohammed Hardi who corroborated with the people said residents in his electoral have every right to demand their share of national cake.
“We know you watch the pylons because thieves have been trying to remove some parts of it and even sometimes it falls on house and yet you have no lights,” the assemblyman said.
ITS TRUE THIS THREE COMMUNITIES ARE REALLY SUFFERING BECAUSE OF LACK ELECTRICITY, WOMEN ARE SUFFERING INTERMS OF GRANDDING MEAL .KNOW DEVELOPMENT AT ALL IN THIS COMMUNITIES WE LOST OUR POSESSION BECAUSE OF LACK OF ELECTRICITY WE CAN NOT SLEEP BECAUSE OF THIEVES, AND WE ARE HERE APPEALING TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MP TO HAVE FAVOR FOR THIS COMMUNITIES.WE HOPE TO SEE A GOOD RESULT.