The Sefwis live in the northern part of the western region of Ghana. They consist of three traditional Sefwi states headed by paramount chiefs. The states are: Anhwiaso, Bekwai, and Wiawso. In spite of the three states, they are mostly regarded as one group. Sefwis have a long history of receiving and host people from all over the region. Sefwi land is home to people from Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Northern, Volta, and Central Regions. The people are tolerant and live peacefully with their neighbors.

The region is endowed with considerable natural resources which gives it a significant economic importance within the context of national development. It is the longest producer of cocoa, rubber, coconut and one of the major producers of oil palm. The rich tropical forest makes it one of the largest producers of raw and sawn timbers as well as processed wood products. A wide variety of minerals, including gold, bauxite, iron, diamond and manganese are either being exploited or are potentially exploitable. The major occupation in the region is farming, fishing, and animal husbandry. The achievement and contribution of Sefwis form the basis of the term: “the best come from the west.”

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC),New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) command support of 60.9 percent, 35 percent and 5 percent of the sample population respectively. This statistics clearly shows the massive support that the NDC enjoys at Sefwi. The people of Sefwi have always voted for NDC Members of Parliament from 1992 till date but yet, the NDC has not shown much interest or respect in developing Sefwi. The Sefwis still lack portable drinking water, poor road network, high illiteracy rate, poverty just to mention few under the leadership of NDC MPs.
What is disheartening is, when the time came for Mahama and his ruling NDC government to show some interest in making the people of Sefwi proud, he decided to disgrace them by appointing a dining hall prefect as a deputy minister.
Meanwhile, Sefwi, in spite of its limited resources, can boast of successful civil servants, businessmen and women, Doctors, intellectuals, lawyers, renowned politicians, etc. These achievers can be found in the NDC and the NPP alike. Does Mahama want to tell us he could not find any other better person from Sefwi to make the people proud other than the dining hall prefect?

Whilst getting their vote, NDC has made Sefwi a butt of their joke. Sefwis have been the joke in the political circles because the NDC brags consistently about getting cheap votes from them just for distributing kerosene and cutlasses. The Bia West MP, Hon Michael Coffie Boampong, for example was the chairman of the road and transportation select committee in parliament but he had no say in parliament. His position was mostly a ceremonial position that was controlled by the government. When the people of Bia asked the MP about the state of their roads in spite of his chairmanship, his respond is the following: “They do not allow me to talk. I have no say.” Since his chairmanship, he has not been able to steer the construction of roads in the constituency. All the NDC MPs from Sefwi are basically powerless when it comes to bringing development to their constituencies.


In appointing a dining hall prefect, Mahama just want to tell Sefwis that, they do not have any intellectual person who is capable of making his people proud. He (Mahama) can do that because only want a person he can control, who does not have any knowledge in managing the affairs of the nation and in the process destroy the beautiful image of Sefwi.
In this light, it is well noticed that Mahama and the NDC have nothing good for the people of Sefwi apart from disgrace and humiliation. Sefwi deserves better!

They contribute their sweat, resources, and human capital in exchange for disgrace and shameful act from the political class. How shall our pregnant women and sick die on the poor and dilapidated roads that timber, cocoa, and gold cars plough every day?

Sefwi Deserves better, they must at least be respected. No party should come and campaign in Sefwi with deceptive promises. Give our youth a chance! Give our women a chance!!

By Augustine Kwasi Andoh, a true sefwi patriot from Bia.
AugustinekwasiAndoh@gmail.com