Communities in the South Sissala area of the Wa East District have appealed to government to establish a district hospital at Funsi for provide the people with quality healthcare services.

Government should also make efforts to improve on the existing health and education structures, to motivate workers, especially teachers and nurses to stay and work in the district.

Mr Timothy N-beenaba, President of the South Sissala Youth Association, made the appeal at the maiden celebration of the “Tanhaviali” (purification of the land) festival of the Chiefs and people of the South Sissala Area at Funsi on Saturday.

He said the deplorable nature of the roads in the area was of a major concern to the people who are predominantly farmers and urged government to rehabilitate the Kundungu-Belekpong, Funsi–Duu-Choggu, Kundungu-Kunyeben-Tinniabe and Funsi Duu East Roads and also a bridge over the Kulung and Hambalara Rivers, among others, to open up the area with the rest of the region.

Some of the communities are so remote that the people are unable to link to Funsi to have access to medical services at the only health centre there and the regional hospital in Wa, especially during the raining season.

“This has caused many people, including pregnant women and children to die of some preventable ailments and snake bites,” Mr. N-beenaba explained.

He called on government to redouble its efforts to complete the senior high school project at Funsi and make it operational this academic year.

He said some people in the area were worried about the delay in the execution of the project, while others were also of the opinion that government was playing politics with the project.

“Constructional works on the project started about four years ago but not much had been done, compare to some new school projects that had been constructed in the region in less than two years”, Mr N-beenaba pointed out.

Mr N-beenaba expressed concern about the degradation of the environment through the activities of alien Fulani herdsmen and their cattle and the indiscriminate bush burning among the people.

He urged members of the Wa East District Assembly, traditional rulers, landlords and opinion leaders to come together and adopt appropriate measures to help address the menace, to promote agriculture.

Similarly, they should also resolve all land disputes, particularly lands that have mineral deposits on them, since such disagreements have the tendency of disturbing the peace in the area.

Mr Godfrey Bayong Tangu, Member of Parliament for Wa East District called on government to intervene to allay the fears among the people of the area, whose lives and livelihoods was being threatened on daily basis by Fulani herdsmen

He said cattle belonging to the Fulani had degraded the environment and destroyed food crops, while the Fulani were also engaged in raping women and taking to arms against farmers as well involving in cattle rustling and armed robbery among other activities.

Mr Tangu, who was the guest of honour, appealed to the people to take keen interest in the education of their children, saying, it was only the tool that they could use to come out of poverty and develop their communities.

He urged the people to imbibe in the youth, the good cultural values and norms bequeathed to them by their ancestors.

Mr Ameen Salifu, Wa East District Chief Executive, noted that due to inadequate infrastructure, some government workers were refusing to accept postings and transfers to work in the area and called on government to provide more infrastructures to motivate workers to stay and work in the district.

“Tanhaviali”, in Sissali means cleansing or purifying the Land God of dirt that man, over the years had put on it. The people have over the years been sacrificing to the Land God annually to purify it; asking for God’s blessings, protection and direction, bumper harvest and prosperity.

The festival was characterized by singing, drumming and dancing, cultural display and archery, among other activities.**