Some concerned Youth of the Ga Area Council, also known as the Eastern Corridor of the Wa West District in the Upper West Region, have defended the decision to site a proposed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institution in Ga and a 24-hour economy market in Ponyentanga, describing recent claims of favouritism as “misguided and misleading.”
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Ga, the group said their engagement was non-partisan and aimed solely at clarifying issues surrounding development projects within the enclave.
Hafiz Timbile Adam, spokesperson for the group, said the proposed TVET institution in Ga is the fulfilment of a promise made in 2020 by then-presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama during a campaign visit to Ponyentanga. At the time, chiefs of the Eastern Corridor appealed for a second-cycle institution to serve the eastern belt of the district, which currently has none.
He explained that Ga was unanimously selected by traditional leaders as the host community due to its central location within the corridor, and that land was subsequently made available for the project near the Ga dam.
“The request was for the eastern corridor, and the land was offered in good faith five years ago,” He stated, questioning suggestions that the project was originally intended for another community.
Hafiz further dismissed claims linking the proposed TVET to the yet-to-be-absorbed Wechiau Senior High Technical School (SHTS), stressing that the two institutions are different in legal framework, policy basis, and administrative structure.
He noted that while they support calls for the government to absorb the Wechiau SHTS, it would be inaccurate to suggest that the Ga TVET should replace or be converted into that process.
On the siting of the 24-hour economy market at Ponyentanga, the youth rejected assertions that the decision was influenced by the fact that it is the hometown of the MP. They revealed that the Wa West District Assembly unanimously approved the location after consultations and emphasised that such markets are intended to be situated in accessible and commercially viable areas, not necessarily district capitals.
They stated that Ponyentanga is strategically positioned along the N12 international highway linking the Upper West Region and Burkina Faso to southern Ghana.
The community also hosts one of the district’s most vibrant markets and is among the top contributors to the district’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF).
“It is not surprising that financial records consistently show the Ga Area Council as the top contributor to the district’s IGF,” the group noted.
Hafiz further described as “laughable and sorrowful” claims that development is being concentrated in the Eastern Corridor.
He cited poor road networks, lack of electricity in some communities, uncompleted sanitation facilities, and dilapidated classroom blocks as evidence that the area has not been disproportionately favoured.
The group refuted claims that the District Chief Executive, Richard Wulo, hails from the Eastern Corridor, clarifying that he is a native of Kangba in the Vieri Area Council.
They urged residents and stakeholders across the district to view development as a collective gain rather than a competitive contest.
“Progress for one should not be framed as a loss for another,” the group emphasised, calling on political, traditional, and religious leaders to work in harmony for the advancement of Wa West.
Story by Ibrahim Abubakari Wangara
