Vieri, (UW/R), Jan. 09, GNA – The Daga-Wiile community in the Upper West Region has appealed to the government to help improve their livelihood through the provision of the needed social amenities and infrastructure.

They said access to potable water, lack of electricity, and road infrastructure were some of the issues affecting the people living in Daga-Wiile communities.

The Daga-Wiile community, that is, Dagara settlers in the Wa West District and Wa Municipality appealed in a communiqué at Vieri in the Wa West District at the weekend during the climax of the Seontaar Boor festival of the Daga-Wiile people.

Mr Mathias Gangana, the Chairman of the festival planning committee, who read the communiqué, indicated that the Daga-Wiile communities were deprived and under-developed.

He said they introduced the festival five years ago to among other things, stress the development needs of the Daga-Wiile communities as well as to promote and protect their rich culture from extinction.

He commended the leadership of the Wa West District and Wa Municipality for the development initiatives at the Daga-Wiile communities but that there was still more to be done.

“We are, however, calling on the Wa West DCE, the Wa MCE as well as the Members of Parliament of the Wa West and the Wa Central Constituencies to endeavor and connect our communities, particularly Tampieni, Chansa-Doorayiri, and Varimperi whose electricity projects were started since 2016”, Mr Gangana said.

He said connecting the Daga-Wiile communities to the national grid would help facilitate the development of those communities since electricity was a prerequisite for development.

Other development challenges Mr Gangana mentioned were the deplorable state of the road network to those communities, which he said impeded their economic activities.

He mentioned such roads to include the Yizie-Bankpama-Zowayel, Siiru-Kangba, and Chansa-Tampieni roads, as well as the construction of the Piise-Nakor bridge, and the opening of new roads to other communities to help improve their economic and farming activities.

Superintendent (Rtd) Peter Lanchene Toobu, the MP for the Wa West Constituency said he was working assiduously to help address some of the challenges the people were facing, including access to potable water, electricity, telecommunication network, and security.

“By God’s grace next year by this time, you will hear that I have provided water for some of these communities that are without water.

“I also met with the IGP in his office for us to discuss security issues in this constituency, especially armed robbery. Gradually we will fight the armed robbers and you can go out and come in safely”, he explained.

Naa Dauda Vuudikubo, Kikilapare Chief, who represented the Paramount Chief of the Wechiau Traditional Area, stressed the need for peaceful co-existence if the needed development of the area would be achieved.

He also emphasised the need for parents and guardians to prioritise the education of their girl children rather than marrying them off.

The chief urged the people to desist from negative practices such as the felling of trees to help save the environment to improve their farming activities.

Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament gave GH¢5,000.00 to support the organisation of the festival.

The weeklong event showcased the rich culture of the Daga-Wiile people, their cultural dances, dressing, and display of cultural artifacts among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency