Kessena youth want new district capital re-located

Some irate youth from the newly created Kessena-Nankana West District in the Upper East, on Thursday embarked on a peaceful demonstration in Navrongo to express their dissatisfaction over the choice of Paga as the capital town of the district. The demonstration that was aimed at pressing upon the assembly to discuss the issue was planned to coincide with the fifth session of the Assembly's first ordinary meeting. The demonstrators numbering about 10 dozens held placards some of which read "Mr. President, hear our genuine cry," "Why war and not peace, capital in Paga is war, we want violent-free district" and "our term has come," among others. A spokes person for the demonstrators, Mr. Aloo Robert Apechira addressing the crowd, said Chiana was the headquarters of the Chiana-Paga constituency, and had a comparatively large area with four paramouncies comprising Chiana, Kayoro, Katiu and Nakong. He said the decision to make Paga the capital town of the new district "is inappropriate and defies the logic of geographical, historical and economic realities" adding that it was only right that Chiana be made the district capital. Mr. Apechira said several committee reports had hitherto recommended Chiana as suitable capital for the new district to be carved from the present Kassena-Nankana District. He said those recommendations had no political undertones and favouritism and should be used as a working document and reference point in all activities connected to the new district. Mr. Apechira said considering the composition of the Kassena-Nankana district, Chiana had the highest number of assembly members, of 15; the Eastern section had 13, while Paga had only six electoral areas and could not qualify to become the district capital. He suggested that the Kassena-Nankana District should be elevated into a Municipality to comprise the old and new districts so as to avoid further confusion over the choice of capital for the new district. Mr Apechira said some few leaders in the area had ignored the voices of the people, claiming that all was rosy. He urged government to gather information about the new district to enable it make a decisive decision about the location of the district capital to maintain peace and tranquillity in the area.