Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing has denied allegations that he diverted education infrastructure projects originally meant for Issa in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District to another location within the district.
Responding to a petition submitted by the chiefs and people of Issa following a demonstration in the community, the minister stated that he had not diverted any project intended for the area.
“Over 85 per cent of projects that have come to the Upper West Region through government have not had their locations diverted,” Mr Puozuing said, adding that project implementation follows established procedures, including the tendering process.
He explained that project locations and awards are determined through technical processes involving tender and evaluation committees, stressing that no single individual has the authority to unilaterally divert a project.
“There are experts who handle the tender and evaluation processes, and for that matter, no single person has the power to divert a project. I only happen to be the chairman of the entity and sign the award letters,” he said.
The regional minister appealed to the people of Issa to remain calm while the matter is clarified.
“I must emphasise that my fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters from Issa should take heart. These projects were not meant for Issa. As we speak, we have brought many other projects to Issa,” he said.
Mr Puozuing further indicated that anyone dissatisfied with the explanation could make use of the Right to Information Act to access relevant documents.
“The Upper West Regional Coordinating Council is willing to make such documentation available for scrutiny. Picking documents here and there without the full context is unfair,” he added.
The comments follow a demonstration by the chiefs and people of the Issa Traditional Area on Wednesday, during which they presented a petition to the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District Chief Executive, James Wor, alleging that two projects aimed at improving education infrastructure in the district had been diverted.
Secretary to the Paramount Chief, Naa Bismark Bietuari, who presented the petition on behalf of the chiefs, stated that the original tender documents publicly advertised Issa as the designated location for the proposed complex.
He described the alleged redirection of the project as unjustified and warned that it could undermine the longstanding peaceful coexistence between the communities of Issa and Daffiama.
Currently, the district office of the Ghana Education Service operates from Daffiama, a temporary arrangement that was adopted due to the absence of infrastructure when the district was initially created.
Local officials argue that the arrangement places additional financial pressure on the district, as officials frequently travel long distances for administrative meetings.
The chiefs have warned that if the original contract terms are not honoured, they may resort to legal means of protest, including preventing contractors from accessing the new project site.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com