By Mohammed Balu
Banu (U/WR), March 5, GNA – Women farmers in Sissala East Municipality have urged government to make available subsidized inputs timely ahead of this year’s farming season.
The call was made during Media Foundation for West Africa (WFA) and Radio for Development citizens’ engagement with duty-bearers at Banu in the Sissala East Municipality.
The governance programme was in collaboration with the Sissala East Municipal Assembly during which the women’s leader (Mangazia) of Banu community, 52-year-old farmer, Madama Safura Adamu, demanded their share of the planting for food inputs.
She called on the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Karim Nanyua, to ensure women farmers in the farming zone were being allocated their share of the government subsidised inputs at the right time to go into the farming season well prepared.
The Paramount Chief of Banu, Pio Alhaji Sumaila Yakubu, reminded the Municipal Assembly of the numerous challenges affecting the people around the communities.
He named some of the acute challenges to include: lack of potable water, broken down boreholes, loss of six lives due to snake bites and apparent unavailability of anti-snake venom as well as bad road networks and inadequate health officials to man their health facilities (CHPs Compounds).
Pio Sumaila was specifically concerned about general underdevelopment of the traditional area where he mentioned the roads from Pina, Kunchorkor, Kwapun to Wuru and Tanla as not motorable but also unconnected to the national electricity grid.
The Chief said the traditional rulers have sanctioned the ban and sale of alcoholic beverages in the area after it was established that able-bodied young persons were becoming alcoholics and a burden to the community.
In response to the issues raised, the Sissala East MCE, Mr Nanyua, said five out of the 20 boreholes earmarked for communities have been produced.
He also promised to ensure fair distribution of the planting for food and jobs subsidised inputs adding that « We would not issue coupons for the fertilizer this year ».
He said though not much has been achieved in terms of road infrastructure since 2017, road construction remains top priority of the government.
The MCE called on the people to take advantage of the vast government policies and initiatives like free senior high school, planting for food and jobs, planting for export and rearing for jobs to better their lot.
DL/AD