The Wa West District has been triggered by series of agitations in Wechiau and Ga over some government projects awarded and situated in Ponyentanga and Ga Communities.
According to the People of Wechiau in the District Capital, a 24 Hour Economy Market project premeditated to be constructed in Ponyentanga located in the eastern part of Wa West District should instead be moved to the capital, Wechiau in the Western part.

The Calls by Wechiau Community Members has received fierce resistance by residents of Gat Traditional Area who have issued a counter press statement on the 15th February 2026 indicating that Ponyentanga is the Best area for the 24 Hour Economy Market and Ga Community for a TVET School.

Full Statement Read by Hafiz Timbile Adams

PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE GA AREA COUNCIL (EASTERN CORRIDOR), WA WEST DISTRICT
Date: Sunday, 15th February, 2026 Location: Ga, Wa West District
Distinguished members of the Press, we warmly welcome you to the Ga Area Council, popularly known as the Eastern Corridor in the Wa West District. This Area Council is one of five administrative Area Councils within the district.
To provide clarity, this enclave spans from Nyoli to Jenbob, Polee to Da-Eyiri, Sanuori to Kuukyileyiri, including many other communities both far and near. It is composed of six electoral areas; Nyoli, Kuukyileyiri, Sanuori, Ponyentanga, Tanina, and Ga.
We gather here today as proud sons and daughters of the Wa West District and committed youth of the Eastern Corridor to discuss issues relating to the development of communities within the Ga Area Council. This press conference is not a defense or support for anyone, and definitely not antagonism to anybody. It is a non-partisan engagement to drum home some key developments in our area.

This press conference is informed by recent happenings in the district where calls are increasing for the development of our communities. We wish to commend our colleagues across the district for their foresight in demanding fair development in Wa West, and to join them in reminding leadership that the youth are wild awake and ready for development and accountable leadership.

That said, our attention was drawn to a press release titled “Joint Address by the Traditional Authorities and Youth of Wechiau on Consultation, Transparency, and Balanced Development in Wa West District,” where issues of development in the Ga Area Council were mentioned, with particular focus on the proposed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution and the 24-Hour Economy Market to be sited in Ga and Ponyentanga respectively.

The said press conference and the subsequent commentary on the airwaves seek to suggest that the proposed TVET school and the 24-Hour Market were meant for some other community but surreptitiously found their way to the aforementioned communities in the Eastern Corridor. It is further erroneously suggested that development is tilted to this corridor at the neglect of other parts of the district. But for the misinformation about development in our area, we would not have been here.

We respect the right of others to register their displeasure regarding the development of our district and their communities in particular or speak against ill-treatment by leaders. While we do not begrudge the organisers’ demand for transparency and accountability in

leadership, we deem it appropriate and necessary to clarify the facts as regards the yet to be constructed TVET in Ga, the 24-Hour Economy Market in Ponyentanga, and the general development trajectory within the Eastern Corridor of our beloved Wa West.

1. Ga TVET is a Commitment Made in 2020

Friends from the media, in 2020, during the official visit of H.E. John Dramani Mahama to Ponyentanga, then presidential candidate of the NDC, to unveil the then Parliamentary Candidate (now MP), Hon. Peter Lanchene Toobu, the chiefs of the Eastern Corridor unanimously appealed for the establishment of a second cycle institution in the eastern belt of Wa West District.

The reason was simple: the eastern corridor had no secondary-level institution and as of today, it still does not have one.

Following the promise by the presidential candidate to establish the school, the Ga Traditional Area, being centrally located within the eastern belt, was accepted by the chiefs and elders of the belt to host the facility as and when it is provided. This was welcomed by the people of Ga, who immediately offered a suitable piece of land for the project.

That land, which lies a few meters after the Ga dam, has remained reserved for this purpose for the past five years, awaiting the fulfilment of the promise.

We are all aware that the NDC and then candidate John Dramani Mahama were unlucky in the 2020 elections and could not deliver on the promise. Even at that, efforts, though fruitless, were made by the elders to get the previous government to initiate the process for the second cycle school.

Following the success of President Mahama and the NDC in the 2024 election and forming government in 2025, our elders followed up with the MP and other political leaders in the district and the Upper West Region to remind His Excellency, the President, of his promise to give us a secondary-level educational institution. The sustained efforts and reminders yielded this positive outcome as the president fulfilled his pledge after five years of waiting by giving the eastern belt and the Wa West a TVET school.

We use this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama and his government for the decision to site the TVET school in our community. This bold and forward-looking initiative is a powerful investment in our youth, skills development, and local economic growth. We have no doubt that this school, once established, will equip our young ones with practical skills, create avenues for decent jobs, and inspire hope for a brighter future. We deeply appreciate this recognition and assure the government of our fullest support towards the success of the project.

Now that the president has upheld his promise after five years, we ask:

Is it reasonable for anyone to think that this project was meant to go somewhere other than Ga? Would it be fair for anyone to suggest that the project should suddenly be relocated to another belt?

We say NO! The request was for the eastern corridor. The land was made available in good faith. The promise is now being fulfilled. From Nyoli to Tanina, up to Da-iyiri, to Dolinguo, Kuukyileyiri, and Wuokura are all in the eastern corridor, and let no one try to belittle this portion of the district when it comes to hosting this project.

Separating Two Different Issues
Ladies and gentlemen, a major misconception that crept in and has sustained the misguided narrative is the existing community-initiated Wechiau Senior High Technical School, which is yet to be absorbed by the State.
It is instructive to note that the Wechiau Senior High Technical School and the proposed national TVET institution are not the same. They differ in legal and policy foundation, funding and establishment process, administrative framework, and even institutional mandate.
Establishment or absorption of a community-led senior high/technical school follows Ghana Education Service procedures, while establishing a new TVET institution falls under the Ghana TVET Service policy framework. The two processes are independent, and the presence of one does not invalidate the other.
Need we remind all gathered here that the Wechiau Senior High Technical School was started using an abandoned government facility that had originally been constructed for a proposed Community Nursing School by the previous NDC administration. The school started somewhere in the 2019/2020 academic year with General Arts and Business programs. The intent was to introduce the technical courses the following academic year, by which time the school would have been absorbed by the government.
Everyone within the district was happy and hopeful that this would happen to improve education in the district. It is unfortunate that the school is yet to be absorbed. We fully support the call for the government to absorb the Wechiau SHTS, and urge leadership in the district not to relent in expediting the process for the absorption.
Respected media friends, we are disappointed that some narratives have focused on questioning why Ga should receive the project when the Wechiau SHTS is yet to be absorbed by the government. It is inaccurate to present the proposed Ga TVET project as though it should automatically replace or be converted into that process. That conflation creates confusion and misleads the public. It does not make political sense to be fixated

on pursuing only the SHTS for Wechiau when there is the opportunity to get a TVET school for Ga in addition. What exactly do we lose in this case?

The proposed Ga TVET – like the Lassia SHS, the Wechiau SHTS, and the Dorimon E- block, which we understand will be converted to a boarding institution – when completed will admit students from across Wa West and indeed from anywhere in Ghana. Imagine from Tuna, all the way to Bamahu, the number of children that could benefit from this school. We urge our colleague youth across the district to join hands in demanding fair share of the national cake, particularly in the area of education.

2. The 24-Hour Economy Market at Ponyentanga

Dear friends of the inky fraternity, another claim floating in support of the alleged favouritism being enjoyed by the eastern corridor is the siting of the 24-Hour Economy Market in Ponyentanga. While that is the hometown of the MP, it is incongruous to link the choice of location to that factor. This is because, doing so will mean the community is not deserving of the project or does not meet the requirements to host the market.

Permit us to once again say a very big thank you to H.E. President John Dramani Mahama for the project. We also wish to thank the Wa West District Assembly and the traditional and opinion leaders in the district for given approval for the project to be sited within the eastern corridor. We are reliably informed by our assembly representatives that the decision to site the project at the chosen location received unanimous approval from the 35 Assembly members when it reached the house after consultations. We wish to appeal to the Assembly and the Minister in charge of these markets to expedite action to ensure the timely completion of the project. We believe that it holds great potential in reducing unemployment and improving revenue in the district.

As you are all aware, the 24-Hour Economy Markets are supposed to be located in an area that will bring the best possible returns on investment. Thus, we ought to diffuse our minds of any erroneous impression that the market projects are required to be situated in the district capital. The president and the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs have repeatedly indicated that the site for these projects should be visible and accessible to people in the communities they are built in as well as strangers who pass through the area. That is why the Lambussie and Daffiama-Bussie-Issa districts have decided to situate their markets at Hamile and Bussie, respectively, due to their visibility, accessibility, and high revenue potential, but not because they are the capitals.

There is no doubt that many communities in the Wa West district, including those in the Eastern Corridor, could host this important economic facility. Ponyentanga is particularly suitable for the project given its geographical location, which has the international N12 Road running through the community. This is the road that links most parts of the Upper West region and Burkina Faso to the southern part of the country. The significance of commuters on this road to the intended market cannot be underestimated.

Media friends, Ponyentanga, as you may be aware, is one of the economic centres with a daily market in the Wa West district. The Ponyentanga Market is arguably the second highest revenue generating market after Nyoli Market, both located in the Eastern Corridor. It is therefore not surprising that the financial records at the Assembly continually show the Ga Area Council as the topmost contributor to the Internally Generated Fund of the district.

Is this not enough justification to site the project in this enclave?

3. The Development Reality in Wa West and the Eastern Corridor

It is laughable and, at the same time, sorrowful when we read and hear people say that development is being concentrated in the Eastern Corridor. We ask ourselves, what kind of development? Is it the uncompleted toilets at Naaha and Ga, the lack of electricity at Polee, Tendoma and Kuukyilenyiri, the dilapidated classroom blocks at Nyoli, Ga and Jenbob, or the lack of motorable roads in our many communities?

We are aware that some members of the press present here are more familiar with the Wa West District. Since the creation of our dear district in 2004, what major signature project has been undertaken within the Eastern Corridor? If there is any truth of the imbalance and unfair distribution of development in Wa West, the Eastern Corridor will certainly not be the beneficiary.

We have seen virtually nothing in the 22 years of being Wa Westners, but we do not make noise. Rather, we stay hopeful that one day the pendulum will swing and we will also be remembered by the powers that be.

As wide as our district is, we understand the competing demands for development. But we must do so with a modicum of respect. As young people, we should see development in any part of the district as a gain for all of us. One day, those projects will together make the Wa West great and strong. That is why we in the eastern belt do not protest the siting of projects in any part of the district.

In some widespread districts like ours, district-level institutions are not situated at one place, as we have them at the District capital. You know them, so we will not bother you with the list. We have always treated them as district assets, the reason Ga or any eastern corridor community does not protest the siting of these facilities in the capital.

It is trite that balanced development cannot logically mean that every major project must be located within one geographical area. Any group of people who hold such a view, may be suffering from Entitlement Illusion Syndrome!

Zonal Bias?

Some people ignorantly hold the notion that the MP and the DCE hail from this corridor, hence the alleged unfair distribution. First of all, it is not true that the DCE is from the Eastern corridor. For the avoidance of doubt, Hon Richard Wulo is a native of Kangba, a community in the central belt (i.e., Vieri Area Council). Let us even assume that they were both from our area, the reality on the ground does not support the supposed unfair sharing of projects they are accused of.

Since the NDC took office in January 2025 till date, about 18 projects are either completed or under construction across the district, with only three found within the Eastern Corridor; a 2-unit KG classroom at Tanina and two boreholes at Polee and Werkorbo. The other 15 are spread across the district as seen in the table below.

Project
Beneficiary
Status

Construction & furnishing of 1No. CHPS compound
Tokali
Completed

Gurungu Metii
Ongoing

Pase
Ongoing

Construction of 3-unit JHS Block
Dabo
Ongoing

Construction of 2-unit KG Block
Tanina
Ongoing

Market Stalls
Dornye
Completed

Dorimon
Completed

Volleyball Court
Wechiau
Completed

Drilling & Mechanisation of a borehole
Wechiau Fire station
Ongoing

Drilling of Boreholes (Hand pump)
Polee
Awaiting fixing

Diesi
Awaiting fixing

Dakpalateng
Awaiting fixing

Nadizie
Awaiting fixing

Lorteng
Awaiting fixing

Jagluu
Awaiting fixing

Pognyamayiri
Awaiting fixing

Yokoroteng
Awaiting fixing

Werkorbo
Yet to drill

It, therefore, cannot be factual that the Eastern Corridor is favoured with projects more than the others just because the MP is from that side. The facts do not support that assertion.

Wa West is larger than any single zone and its development is not equal to the development of only the capital or any one community. Attempts to link the few projects coming to the eastern corridor to the origin of the MP are not only speculative but ill- intended and unfair as well. It comes as though we do not qualify for such projects.
We believe that the Eastern Corridor deserves better than we have had over the years. While we appreciate the decision of the government to situate the aforementioned

projects in the area, we wish to appeal to the district assembly, the MP and the government to fix our bad roads, connect our communities to the national grid, refurbish the deteriorated classrooms and provide sufficient furniture for our younger ones.

4. Conclusion
   We stand in solidarity with all communities seeking development. However, progress for one should not be framed as loss for another. We must exhibit mutual respect for one another in our quest for development, and not belittle or look down on any community. We, therefore, respectfully appeal to fellow constituents to stop vilifying the MP over a TVET school that predates his election into parliament and a 24-Hour Economy Market which has been duly approved through the appropriate assembly structures where he has no voting right. Such vilification portrays the beneficiary communities unmeritorious of the projects, which is very unfair.

We further urge our leaders – political, traditional and religious – to work together in harmony for the betterment of our dear district. We are optimistic that they are committed to peacefully resolving any disputes that may exist between them.
Wa West must advance collectively, not competitively. It is the only district we have and we must jealously protect it. Together, we can achieve a lot.
God bless the Eastern Corridor
God bless Wa West District
God bless our Homeland, Ghana

Signed
Concerned Youth of Ga Area Council

Cc: All Media Houses