Story: Juliet Akosua Danquah
A son of the Upper East Region based in the diaspora and Founder of Alagumgube, Mr Gabriel Agambila, on Tuesday paid a visit to the Jubilee House to engage government officials on key development priorities affecting the region.
During the meeting, Mr Agambila held discussions with the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, focusing on critical infrastructure, sports development, cultural preservation, and traditional leadership issues in the Upper East Region.
A major issue raised was the need for the Upper East Region to be included among the three regions earmarked for the construction of a modern sports stadium. Mr Agambila emphasized that the region has never had a standard sporting facility with tartan tracks, a gap he said continues to hinder the development of athletics and youth sports.
“The Upper East Region has never had a sporting stadium with tartan tracks to encourage and nurture athletic talent. This is long overdue and must be addressed to promote sports development in the region,” he stated.
On aviation infrastructure, Mr Agambila acknowledged that the Bolgatanga Airport project has been captured in the national budget. However, he appealed for additional support through private sector investment to fast track the construction of the airport, describing it as a critical project that is deeply important to the people of the region.
“Even though the Bolgatanga Airport has been captured in the budget, we are appealing for investors to support the process so the project can be completed within the shortest possible time,” he said.
He further disclosed that Alagumgube has already taken concrete steps to support the airport project by clearing the land and negotiating with landowners to secure additional land for a standard runway. According to him, the association also mobilised funds from a distinguished son of the region to undertake the cadastral planning of the site.
Cultural and educational concerns also featured prominently in the discussions. Mr Agambila expressed concern over the delayed implementation of the Grune language, which was approved about three years ago but is yet to be rolled out. He called for urgent action to ensure its implementation to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of the people.
In addition, Mr Agambila appealed for the speedy resolution of the Bolgatanga chieftaincy matter, stressing that the absence of a substantive chief continues to affect development in the Bolgatanga Traditional Area.
“We need to expedite the chieftaincy process so that Bolgatanga can have a chief who will champion the development needs of the traditional area and help drive unity and progress,” he noted.
The Chief of Staff, together with Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, commended Alagumgube for its consistent advocacy and development-oriented initiatives in the Upper East Region, particularly its role in championing the establishment of a Passport Office in the region.
They expressed the hope that every region in Ghana would have an organisation like Alagumgube working tirelessly to champion regional development.
Mr Agambila concluded by expressing his heartfelt appreciation to all individuals and stakeholders who contributed to the clearing of the airport land and the establishment of a befitting Passport Office for the Upper East Region, describing their collective efforts as a strong demonstration of unity and commitment to regional progress.
