The Gbintiri chapter of the Konkomba Students Union in the Northern region has appealed to the team constituted by the Electoral Commission (EC) to assess the feasibility of the creation of new districts to recommend Namong for the siting of a district capital.

The group in an open letter to the team argues that Namong, a community in the Yunyoo constituency, meets over 75 percent of the requirements for the siting of a district capital. They argue further that the community is easily accessible.

The government proposed the creation of new districts in all ten regions in Ghana in accordance with Section 1 of the Local Government Act 2016, Act 936.
Section 1 (a) of the same Act, Local Government Act 936 places the responsibility on the EC to review and make appropriate recommendations on the proposals.

An internal memo dated October 20, 2017 and signed by the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Mr Samuel Tetteh, said: “a team each has been constituted for the ten regions to undertake a field study and submit reports accordingly. Each regional team is led by the commission member responsible for the region.”

The team is to be guided by Population, Geographical or Physical Features, Economic Viability, Ethnicity and Community Interest, Social Infrastructure, Centrality and Accessibility of Capital.

The field trip will start from October 25 and end on November 10, 2017.
But even before the EC starts with the assessment, the Student Union of the Konkomba ethnic group is appealing for the siting of the district capital at Namong if the current Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district is to be split.

Speaking on Radio Tamale’s morning show, Wake Up Tamale, the president of the union, Emmanuel Gulari said they wouldn’t mind if the new district is named after Yunyoo and the capital given to Namong.

“If the name of the district is Yunyoo and the capital is Namong, we have no problem,” he stated.

He says Konkombas constitute 76.84% of the population of the constituency but do not have a district capital sited in any of their communities.

In the event of a split of the current Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district, the likelihood of Yunyoo getting the district capital of the new district is high. But the youth argue forcefully that Namong is the most qualified among all the communities in the area.

“We have Konkombas been about 76.84 percent of the people in the constituency and that is about 17000 plus, Bimobas have 16 percent, that is just about 1000 plus and Mampurisis have just four polling stations with four communities.

Konkombas have 69 communities, Bimobas have seven communities and with four communities and four polling stations, we don’t see why Yunyoo should be given the district capital,” Emmanuel argued.