The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded an explanation from the Government over the exclusion of the Upper East Region from the US$500 million Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project (GMACP), financed through an International Development Association (IDA) credit facility from the World Bank.

The Party described the omission as unjustified and inconsistent with the objectives of the project, which seeks to improve agricultural market access through the rehabilitation of climate-resilient feeder roads.

At a press conference in Bolgatanga, Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, the Upper East Regional Communications Director of the NPP, said the project, currently before Parliament for approval, aimed to rehabilitate about 1,050 kilometres of feeder roads to improve year-round farm-to-market connectivity, reduce post-harvest losses, lower transportation costs, increase rural incomes and create employment opportunities.

He noted that beneficiary regions listed in the Government’s memorandum included the Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Western North, Western, Central and Ahafo regions.

He said the exclusion of the Upper East Region was difficult to understand, given its significant contribution to Ghana’s agricultural production and the poor state of its feeder road network.

According to him, districts such as Builsa South, a major rice and maize-producing area, continued to face serious challenges transporting produce from farming communities to aggregation centres and commercial markets due to deteriorating feeder roads.

Mr Ayinbisa also cited farming communities in the Bongo District, where millet, sorghum, vegetables and other crops were produced in large quantities, but poor road infrastructure continued to undermine productivity and farmers’ incomes.

He highlighted the Bawku enclave, comprising the Bawku Municipality and the Bawku West, Binduri, Garu and Pusiga districts, as one of Ghana’s leading vegetable-producing areas.

Mr Ayinbisa noted that poor feeder roads, particularly during the rainy season, increased transportation costs, reduced farm-gate prices and limited market access for onion, tomato and pepper farmers.

“The Directorate is therefore unable to reconcile the stated objectives of the project with the decision to omit the Upper East Region,” the Regional Communications Director said.

He questioned the criteria used in selecting beneficiary regions and called on the Upper East Caucus in Parliament to explain the efforts made to secure the Region’s inclusion in the project.

He urged the Upper East Regional Minister, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, youth groups, the media and residents of the Region to unite in advocating the inclusion of the Upper East Region in the intervention.

Mr Ayinbisa stressed that the development of the region should transcend partisan interests and called on all stakeholders to engage constructively to ensure fairness in the distribution of national development projects.

He also appealed to the Government of Ghana and the World Bank to review the beneficiary list before the implementation of the project to include the Upper East Region.