Veire community in Sissala West District has been connected to electricity grid for the first time through persistent advocacy launched by Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) making the people heave a sigh of relief.

Prior to the community’s connection to the national grid, the people were living in perpetual darkness, which was having far-reaching consequences on their social and economic lives.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the District Chief Executive of Wa West, Mr Edward Sabislabire, expressed his profound gratitude to MFWA for the sustained advocacy and follow-ups that culminated in the community being connected to power.

He said the advocacy and monitoring mounted by MFWA afforded him the rare opportunity to fight on to bring about the positive development of helping to get lights for the people.

He described the new development as a "plus" and that it was going to bring about a number of socio-economic benefits to the community including helping students in their course of studies.

It would also open the way for setting up of grinding mills and initiating projects that require use of power as well as engaging in many business ventures and boosting revenue generation of the District Assembly.

“Teachers, nurses and other government workers who used to refuse postings to that area would now see the need not to do so again,” the DCE added.

The power is expected to help the Veire Basic School pupils to make use of their abandoned laptops due to, hitherto, absence of electricity.

Media and civil society engagement brings more accountability issues which are tracked and monitored.