MP FOR NKORANZA NORTH ACCUSED (Page 13)

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

A GROUP calling itself, the Concerned Citizens of Nkoranza North District, has accused the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North, Major Derrick Oduro (retd), for utterances that tend to further divide the people over the siting of the capital for the newly created district.
A press statement issued by the group alleged that, at a durbar held recently at Busunya in honour of the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, “the MP is on record to have said that the creation of the district and the siting of the capital at Busunya have put enemies to shame”,
“We have audio copy of what he said and we are prepared to make it available to anyone who wants to cross-check for the benefit of doubt,” the statement signed by the chairman of the group, Mr Kingsley Agyare-Kudom, said.
The statement dated February 11, 2008, said ”Nkoranza North did not compete with any other district, so who are the enemies of the district the MP is referring to?”
The group emphasised that there was the need for the government to take a second look at the siting of the district capital at Busunya to pave way for effective administration of the district when it is inaugurated.
It stated that it was surprising that Yefri, which had all the qualifications to be made the district capital, was denied that in favour of Busunya.
The statement called on the government to appoint an independent body to assess and put on record the viability and suitability of Yefri and Busunya as a potential capital for the district.
It stressed that the unity of the people who constituted an administrative area was key to socio-economic development, and no one should overlook that.
The statement stated that apart from the fact that Busunya lacked the basic facilities, the location of the town did not make the capital accessible to majority of the people of the district.
It cited the town of Bono Manso and said for anyone to travel from that town to Busunya, he or she had to go through Yefri to Nkoranza before connecting backwards to join another route to Busunya.
It, however, regretted that in spite of the numerous appeals to the sector minister about the siting of the capital, plans to inaugurate the district were ongoing.