Kundungu, (UW/R), Aug.30, GNA- The Chief and people of Kundungu traditional area, in the Wa East District have appealed to government to consider linking the main road from the town to the Northern and Upper East Regions.

This they said would facilitate the movement of goods and people to boost the economic activities of the people in the area and surrounding communities.

The area shares boundary with parts of West Mamprusi, known as "Overseas" in the Northern Region and Fumbisi in the Upper East Region whose people used the road to transact economic activities. Kuoru Bakuli Bakubie, Divisional Chief of the Kundungu traditional area made the appeal when the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. George Hikah Benson and his Deputy Madam Winifred Dy-Yakah paid a familiarization tour to the area on Wednesday. He said the road was the shortest route to the three regions and called on the NPP government to muster the political will to source for funds to build bridges over the few rivers along the road to open up the area for the benefit of the people. The Wa East District was created from the then Wa District and it is one of the food producing districts in the region, but it lacks road infrastructure and social facilities. Kuoru Bakubie appealed to the government to improve on the Kundungu- Baliekpong road to enable farmers to transport their farm produce to the urban centres. He said his people had suffered for long and hoped that this time round the government would come to their aid to delivery them from the shackles of poverty, diseases and deprivation.

Kuoru Bakubie commended the government for the creation of the district and pleaded that electricity be extended to Funsi, its capital as well as the provision of potable water to enable government workers to stay in the area whenever they are posted there. Mr. Benson assured the people that the government would not relent in its efforts to develop the rural communities, whose peoples were contributing to sustain the national economy. He said the Wa East District and for that matter all districts in the country would be given the needed attention by government to ensure an equitable distribution of the national cake without any discrimination.

He called on the people to sustain the prevailing peace in area to enhance development and also attract investors to invest there and utilize the natural resources available there, such as sheanut butter. At Funsi, Mr. Benson urged the people, especially the kingmakers to find an amicable solution to the chieftaincy dispute in the community to pace way for development. He appealed to the people in the district to patronize the National Health Insurance Scheme to enable them to have access to quality health service. The Funsi and Kundungu traditional areas are anticipating hunger come next year following a long spell of drought that caused crops to wither and the havoc caused by the recent heavy rains that had submerged farms.