The Council of Zongo Chiefs in the Konongo-Odumase municipality of the Ashanti Region has accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of totally neglecting the predominantly Muslim community in the area during its eight years in government.

The council commended the NDC government for its role in initiating developmental projects in the area since it took over power. The secretary of the council, Ade Adeoye, appealed to government to do more in developing the area. He was addressing residents of the area when the Chief of Staff Julius Debrah paid a courtesy call on them as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region.

“Once upon a time, a government came here to tell us that as long as it remained in power, Konongo Zongo would not witness any development. Truly, for eight years, no projects came to this town until the NDC returned to power,” he revealed.

Mr Adeoye said the Zongo chiefs of Konongo used the opportunity of a change in government in 2009 to place their request before the NDC for a school in the community. “Within a week, a contractor had made his way here asking us to show him the land the school would be built. Within four months, the school had been completed,” he continued.

The council secretary stated that in addition to the school, all the streets within the Zongo had been asphalted, while the Zongo was selected as the site for the Konongo-Odumase Hospital currently under construction, which when completed will “by all means” employ 50 indigenes out of the 200 personnel expected to be employed to run the facility.

He was also grateful to the NDC and President John Mahama for the construction of a “modern slaughterhouse” for butchers in the area and for choosing a native of the Zongos to become Chief Executive of the district.