The Defunct Wa East Education Office: The Case Of FUNSI, Upper West Region - Ghana I mcbashmedia

14/08/2022

Civic Revolution 

Philosopher 

Wa East District was created in July 2004 by a Legislative Instrument (L.I 1746) as an autonomous local government administrative unit from the Wa Municipal Assembly during the Ex-president Kufour's regime. The intention of the government without doubt for the creation of the new district was to decentralize and catalize development of the area.

This rather beautiful intention has been met with absolute disdain as the staff of the Ghana Education Service(GES) of Wa East District have relocated from Funsi, which is the administrative and District capital of the Wa East District. A purported annex of the District Education Office has been created in the regional capital - Wa by shutting down the office at Funsi.

It is noteworthy that the people of Funsi and the entire enclave are Sissala people and apparently part of the largest ethnic group of the Upper West Region. Earlier concerns were directed as to why the name Wa East but not Sissala South? The pros and cons of this district name debate is not focus of this article although it is a big issue in African cultural context to alienate the people of Funsi from their Sissala ambilical cord. Funsi was part of the erstwhile Sissala District that constitutes the present day Sissala East, Sissala West and Lambusie districts. Hence the naming constitutes a major problem.

Would an annexed education office have been created in Tumu if the District was named Sissala South? Many other begging questions such as, is Wa the center of Wa East District even if it was a question of proximity? The italics are mine, yours is to appreciate beyond the surface implications. Arguably, the annex education office in Wa is considered an absolute waste of resources as government invested huge sums of money in building the infrastructure and furnishing the District education office in Funsi just only to be abandoned. It further creates a glaring evidence of total disrespect for Funsi and its environs to rather travel to the regional capital for needed services by the education office when it has officially been situated in their door-steps. 

There appears to be a deliberate conspiracy between the leadership of the Wa East education office and that of the Upper West Regional Directorate of education since the said office could not possibly have been created without craving the indulgence of the regional education Directorate. The instant case of dislocated relocation of the Wa East District Education Office is evidenced by the disregard for the Sissala people in the region as it is demonstrated in the awarding of European Union funded farm roads project which ultimately led to public protest and demonstrations thereof.

This article is directed at accentuating the need for pragmatically relevant actions by the stakeholders of policy formulation and the regional leadership to do the needful. It must be acknowledged that peace is a product of the intercourse between justice and truth. It is rather unfortunate that justice in this regard is being sacrificed on the alter of greed by men of power in the influence of policy.

The glaring evidence points in the direction of failure in leadership and organized men without consistent unifying efforts towards the agenda of social transformation and the development of the Sissala Land.

Grant me latitude to opinionated and pontificate and to be accused of many things, but the truth be told that no post colonial government has relegated the appointment of the Sissala people into various offices of influence. Undoubtedly with the aim of championing the development of the Sissala Land. Rather paradoxically, these appointments have only limited our efforts in criticizing successive governments of our neglect.

The Sissala Land cannot be erased from the history books of Ghana and these delicate acts of stereotyping the Sissala Land through the many acts of deliberate disregard in the region must stop and all administrative offices of Wa East District be located and fully operational in Funsi pending the change of name that made the people of Funsi and its environs the prodigal sons. It is no doubt that most young people from the Sissala Land are advocating for the creation of the Sissala region in order to preserve peace. This article is written in order to prick people's conscience and he who is in authority cannot sleep in leadership unless he could sleep with one eye opened. Although the author strictly deemphasizes tribalism, yet those who love peace must be as prepared as those who love war, and these words of wisdom by Martin Luther King Jr are still right. 

Author: Dawud G.B

daudjawara@gmail.com