Mr. Gabriel Agambila, leader of the Alagumgube an international recognized Association, reminisced about his group’s determined efforts to construct an airport in the Upper East Region. Apexnewsgh.com
His experience with the former Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, illustrates both the challenges faced during the NPP administration.
Narrating his experience with the former Regional Minister, He said, the initiative began with a respectful request. Mr. Agambila and his group sought permission from Minister Yakubu to organize a “durbar,” a gathering aimed at rallying support for their vision at the airport site. Understanding the minister’s stature as the “father of the region,” they approached him with hope.
However, Minister Yakubu’s response was a setback. He declined their request, instructing them not to hold the event at the airport site due to its sensitivity. Yet, undeterred by the minister’s directive, Mr. Agambila and his team decided to forge ahead. They organized the “durbar,” which remarkably drew a massive crowd, demonstrating the community’s enthusiasm and support for the airport project.
The turnout did not go unnoticed. Minister Yakubu, gauging the overwhelming attendance, hurriedly departed from a program at CK Tedam University in Navrongo and made his way to the airport site. Seeing the sizeable gathering and feeling the pressure of public perception, he insisted on being included in the program. Respecting his position as the head of the region, the group graciously afforded him a speaking slot.
Despite the minister’s eventual appearance, Agambila was left feeling disappointed by the lack of substantial support from the former administration. He contrasted this experience sharply with their current interactions, noting that the present administration seems more cooperative in helping realize their vision for the airport.
However, when opportunity was offered former Minister Stephen Yakubu to give a speech, he said: “Am very glad that now, I will not be fighting for the airport alone, I will be fighting it with all these people behind me and am very pleased. Now, I know that the chiefs and the people of Upper East are all behind me, I know that NPP, NDC, CPP and those who don’t even belong to any party are behind me. So, let us fight together, let us bring airport to Upper East because we also deserve to also drive for few kilometers to come here and also take a plane to Accra or anywhere else”.
Meanwhile, following the current development, Mr. Agambila believes if the former administration had giving them the opportunity what happened yesterday during the visit of the Ghana Airport Authority CEO would have done years ago.
“What we did yesterday would have been done 2 years. Because the same group went to the site, we organized a durbar and even when we wanted to organize the durbar, the then Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu told us not to go to the site, but we still went to the site to organize our durbar and all the chiefs came, they gave us their support. Then, the regional minister was at CK. Tedam University for a programme, but he had to abandon that programme and rushed to the airport site because he had the crowd was so massive and they told him that if he didn’t appear there, it would look bad for the then NPP government. When he came, he insisted we put him on the programme. Though he was not part of the programme once he was the head of the region, we gave him a slot and he spoke. After that, we thought that since he came to the durbar and saw what happened he would be on our side. We visited him in RCC and told him, we wanted to go back to the site and start clearing and again, he told us not to go to the site because it was so sensitive, and we left it. So, if we had done it, by now we should have an airport”.
“And this time around, we just decided that we are not going to fold our hands to wait for the government to do it. We are going to bring something to the table and that is why we decided to do what we did and thank God the country and nation are currently behind us. And whatever it will take for the president to make it happen; I believe in the shortest time we will have an airport in the region”. Mr. Agambila stressed
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
