By Julius ST. Baayel
Nandom, Sunday, November 30, 2025

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Nandom Municipal Assembly, Hon. Anthony Ziniyel, has issued a stern warning to communities that continue to engage in indiscriminate bush burning, cautioning that they will henceforth bear the cost of replacing electricity poles destroyed through their actions.

Speaking at a grand durbar of chiefs, queen mothers, and residents during the 34th Kakube Festival in Nandom, Hon. Ziniyel expressed deep concern over the persistent destruction of the environment by bushfires. He noted that the annual cycle of fires not only destroys farmlands and vegetation but also results in the burning of electricity poles, disrupting power supply to entire communities.

According to the MCE, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) will no longer shoulder the burden of replacing poles lost to human-induced bushfires.
“From now on, NEDCo will not replace electricity poles that community members burn through bushfires. Any affected community will have to either buy their own poles for replacement or sleep in darkness,” he declared.
Hon. Ziniyel urged residents to take full responsibility for protecting their environment and public infrastructure. He cited Goziri—a community that has remained bushfire-free for years—as a shining example worth emulating across the municipality.
Beyond the warning, the MCE also outlined several developmental projects expected to be rolled out in the coming months. These, he said, form part of the Assembly’s commitment to improving infrastructure, livelihoods, and service delivery in the municipality.
Addressing the gathering, the Member of Parliament for Nandom, Hon. Richard Kuuire, reaffirmed the MCE’s remarks and expressed confidence that the upcoming projects would significantly enhance development in the area. He also disclosed that he had made a financial contribution of GH¢49,000 toward the successful organization of this year’s Kakube Festival. The president’s representative, Hon. Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, who doubled as the Minister for Labour, Jobs & Employment, commended the chiefs and people of Nandom for their successful celebration and called on Namdom to guard its current peace jealously in order to allow for development to take place.
The Kakube Festival—one of the most celebrated cultural events in the Upper West Region—draws thousands of people annually to celebrate the end of the farming season, showcase Dagara heritage, and promote unity and development in the municipality.