Tamale MCE faces challenges
Arku Jasmine
Politics
4 minutes read
In September this year, Mr Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahman, became the new Mayor of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA). He received an overwhelming 54 votes out of 58, representing 94.74 per cent of the total votes.
Mr Hanan, a 40-year-old procurement practitioner, takes over from Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday after four years in office.
The stewardship of Alhaji Friday is still a subject of discussion in the metropolis. While a section of the people think Alhaji Friday achieved very little, if any, in terms of development, others are full of praise for him for his initiatives in ensuring the prevailing harmony in the sprawling city.
Being a former Presiding Member of the TaMA (2005-2010), Mr Gundadow is not unfamiliar with the challenges that confront the people; what is new, however, is that he is now in the saddle himself.
Mr Gundadow undoubtedly commands much support from the youth, especially supporters of the ruling NDC, following the peaceful process of his nomination and confirmation. They continue to flock to his house and office for recognition and possible favours.
Mr Gundadow is surely aware of the cliché that, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” The honeymoon he is enjoying now would soon end as he begins to face the stark reality of the myriad of development challenges that confront the fast-growing metropolis.
The rising unemployment rate in the metropolis, just like other major cities in the country, is a Herculean challenge that will need his attention as he strives to lobby investors and major players in the corporate business world to extend their operations to the metropolis. As a team leader, he and his players will need to put their act together to come out with innovative ways of engaging the services of the vibrant youth for accelerated development.
It is an overstatement that Tamale is one of the fastest-growing cities in the sub-region. More suburbs are springing up everyday but with very little to show in terms of basic infrastructure such as motorable roads, water and electricity. In an ideal situation, any new suburb is supposed to have its utilities rightly put in place before the construction of structures.
It is a shame that after years of existence, prime areas such as “Vittin”, “Target,” “Fuo,” “Changli,” “Kanvilli Tuunayilli” and “Saatingli”, where individuals have toiled to put up their homes, do not have drains and tarred roads.
The reality of this failure is more revealing during the rainy season when a motorist would have to meander his way through gaping holes, undulating and muddy roads to his destination. It is even worse during the harmattan season when residents are compelled to “smoke” the engulfing dust with its resultant impact on their health.
Indeed, apart from the existing major asphalted roads, most of which are fast deteriorating following its constant use and spillage of oil by heavy duty trucks travelling to neighbouring Sahelian countries, almost all the auxiliary roads, especially those in the new suburbs, are an eyesore.
Another area of grave concern is the situation of the markets in the metropolis. There are two major markets in Tamale; the central and Aboabo markets.
The Tamale Central Market, which is the nerve centre of commercial activities in the metropolis, is in a very deplorable state and does not befit the status of the city.
Apart from the haphazard manner in which the stores are sited, the market is congested and therefore makes it difficult for shoppers to move around easily.
In an event of an emergency such as sickness and fire outbreak, there will be disaster because with the current arrangements in the markets, no ambulance or fire engine can gain easy access to the markets.
There are no drains either and the narrow walkways are not sealed, hence during the rainy season, the place gets so muddy . Those who venture into it eventually get themselves soiled.
The market also lacks proper washrooms.
Again, some rural communities in the metropolis are still without potable water and electricity. The appropriate situation is for homes to have toilets but it is unfortunately not the case in many houses. In this day and age, people still defaecate in the open.
The people are still confronted with the perennial flooding of their homes and so there will be the need for the construction of storm drains to contain the perennial flooding of homes and properties in some suburbs.
These are some of the nagging issues that have confronted the thriving metropolis and continue to hang on the neck of the assembly like an albatross.
He must, therefore, gird his loins, lace his boots and hit the ground running (apologies to late President Atta Mills). Enough of the fanfare.
By Zakaria Alhassan/Daily Graphic/Ghana
Mr Hanan, a 40-year-old procurement practitioner, takes over from Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday after four years in office.
The stewardship of Alhaji Friday is still a subject of discussion in the metropolis. While a section of the people think Alhaji Friday achieved very little, if any, in terms of development, others are full of praise for him for his initiatives in ensuring the prevailing harmony in the sprawling city.
Being a former Presiding Member of the TaMA (2005-2010), Mr Gundadow is not unfamiliar with the challenges that confront the people; what is new, however, is that he is now in the saddle himself.
Mr Gundadow undoubtedly commands much support from the youth, especially supporters of the ruling NDC, following the peaceful process of his nomination and confirmation. They continue to flock to his house and office for recognition and possible favours.
Mr Gundadow is surely aware of the cliché that, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” The honeymoon he is enjoying now would soon end as he begins to face the stark reality of the myriad of development challenges that confront the fast-growing metropolis.
The rising unemployment rate in the metropolis, just like other major cities in the country, is a Herculean challenge that will need his attention as he strives to lobby investors and major players in the corporate business world to extend their operations to the metropolis. As a team leader, he and his players will need to put their act together to come out with innovative ways of engaging the services of the vibrant youth for accelerated development.
It is an overstatement that Tamale is one of the fastest-growing cities in the sub-region. More suburbs are springing up everyday but with very little to show in terms of basic infrastructure such as motorable roads, water and electricity. In an ideal situation, any new suburb is supposed to have its utilities rightly put in place before the construction of structures.
It is a shame that after years of existence, prime areas such as “Vittin”, “Target,” “Fuo,” “Changli,” “Kanvilli Tuunayilli” and “Saatingli”, where individuals have toiled to put up their homes, do not have drains and tarred roads.
The reality of this failure is more revealing during the rainy season when a motorist would have to meander his way through gaping holes, undulating and muddy roads to his destination. It is even worse during the harmattan season when residents are compelled to “smoke” the engulfing dust with its resultant impact on their health.
Indeed, apart from the existing major asphalted roads, most of which are fast deteriorating following its constant use and spillage of oil by heavy duty trucks travelling to neighbouring Sahelian countries, almost all the auxiliary roads, especially those in the new suburbs, are an eyesore.
Another area of grave concern is the situation of the markets in the metropolis. There are two major markets in Tamale; the central and Aboabo markets.
The Tamale Central Market, which is the nerve centre of commercial activities in the metropolis, is in a very deplorable state and does not befit the status of the city.
Apart from the haphazard manner in which the stores are sited, the market is congested and therefore makes it difficult for shoppers to move around easily.
In an event of an emergency such as sickness and fire outbreak, there will be disaster because with the current arrangements in the markets, no ambulance or fire engine can gain easy access to the markets.
There are no drains either and the narrow walkways are not sealed, hence during the rainy season, the place gets so muddy . Those who venture into it eventually get themselves soiled.
The market also lacks proper washrooms.
Again, some rural communities in the metropolis are still without potable water and electricity. The appropriate situation is for homes to have toilets but it is unfortunately not the case in many houses. In this day and age, people still defaecate in the open.
The people are still confronted with the perennial flooding of their homes and so there will be the need for the construction of storm drains to contain the perennial flooding of homes and properties in some suburbs.
These are some of the nagging issues that have confronted the thriving metropolis and continue to hang on the neck of the assembly like an albatross.
He must, therefore, gird his loins, lace his boots and hit the ground running (apologies to late President Atta Mills). Enough of the fanfare.
By Zakaria Alhassan/Daily Graphic/Ghana