Residents of Nasia in the West Mamprusi district of the northern region have expressed disappointment at the walewale district assembly and government for what they described as continued deceit in extending electricity to Nasia.
The electricity extension to the community the residents say was promised by government to upgrade electricity supply to Nasia township. The upgrading and extension was to enhance their economic activities and also revamp irrigation facility there.
Nasia was one of the towns in the northern region noted for the cultivation and processing of local rice in commercial quantity, but has come to a halt to due to electricity supply to the irrigation project in the area and the Nasia Township.
Rice processors now have to forcefully commute to Walewale to process their rice because of unavailability of electricity, even though rice mills are in the community. Nasia has a population of over 6,000 with 426 households.
More than half of the total population is living without electricity for over 20 years now due to the single phase that passes from Savelugu through to Walewale. The youth, chiefs and the assembly members in the area say they have been with the problem for far too long and cannot tolerate it any longer.
Anyone passing through Nasia which is along the Tamale-Bolga highway will assume that the community is hooked to the national grid, but the reality though is that it is not.
For the timely intervention of assembly members and chiefs, the angry youth in the area would have attacked contractors working on the extension of power to the adjourning communities amidst plans of series of demonstrations against government.
The assembly members of the area both the appointed and the elected say Nasia electricity extension project was approved by the Walewale district assembly and the information relayed to the people who are now accusing them of playing politics with the issue.
The irrigation facility which engages the youth in the area during dry season from migrating to south for Kayaye has also come to a standstill due to absence of electricity.
The fears of the residents in Nasia were born out of silence by the assembly and government triggering them to rely on the media for help.
At a news conference in Nasia, women rice processor and marketing association, assemblymen and chiefs made a passionate appeal to government to turn its attention to their problem before they run out of patience.
The Sherana Abdul Rahman Yakubu who spoke on behalf of the chief of Nasia, Mozurana appealed to the energy ministry and the northern regional minister to intervene in the Nasia electricity extension project.
A member of Behigu women rice processor and marketing association in Nasia Ramatu Mahama said the absence of electricity is affecting their businesses negatively.
The absence of electricity she said denied the association an opportunity from Technoserve, an NGO who came to to support them rice mill which uses electricity.
But when contacted, the District Executive for Walewale, Adam Yussif said Nasia community should rather be thankful to the NDC government. He said government was making efforts to connect more rural communities to the national grid.
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