Nyeya Yen bemoans Upper East Region’s slow pace of development, calls for revamping meat and tomato factories

A social justice advocate, Nyeya Yen, has expressed concern over the state of development in the Upper East Region, describing it as “nothing to write home about.”

Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 16, Yen acknowledged that while the region has made some progress, critical areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health, and education remain underdeveloped.

“We have real issues of poverty, even though there are pockets of prosperity in some areas. We had hoped that under the previous NPP government, and now under the NDC, initiatives like the reopening and development of the tomato and meat factories would have created employment, but that didn’t happen,” he said.

On healthcare, Yen lamented the challenges facing hospitals in the region, including the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo.

“Our hospitals do not have all the necessary infrastructure, and when people fall sick, they are often referred to Tamale and other places.” He noted.

He stressed that the state has the primary responsibility to drive development in the region, given its capacity to mobilise resources for major projects.

“So, the question as to who should propel development, I will say it’s the state, because the state is the only instrument capable of mobilising resources.”

“We have been talking about the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam for ages, but it hasn’t happened. No private developer can come and construct that dam; it has to be the state.” He argued.

According to him, when the government takes the lead in addressing the region’s major challenges while creating opportunities, especially for the youth, only then can true development be said to have been achieved.

Mike 105.3FM | Navrongo | David Adapuna