The chiefs and residents of the Issa Traditional Area are demanding the immediate reversal of a decision to relocate the construction of a new Ghana Education Service (GES) district office complex and bungalow from Issa to Daffiama.

In a petition, the Issa traditional leaders accused the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, headed by Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, of unlawfully diverting the educational infrastructure, allegedly under the influence of the Member of Parliament for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, Dr. Sebastian Sandaare.

Both the MP for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa and Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing have strenuously denied the allegation.

“Over 85% of projects that have come to the Upper West Region through the government, none of them has had their locations diverted,” Charles Lwanga Puozuing emphasized, adding,

“It has been done in accordance with our procedures in terms of tendering.”

He explained that experts oversee the tendering and evaluation committees, and no single person has the power to divert a project.

“I only happen to be the chairman of the entity and signed the award letters,” he further stated.

Mr Charles Lwanga appealed to the people of Issa to remain calm.

“I must emphasize to my fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters from Issa to take heart. These projects were not originally meant for Issa. As we speak, we have brought many other projects to Issa. If I had the power, I would not have diverted any; only one was redirected,” he asserted.

The Issa community, however, insists that the alleged relocation of the project directly violates the Local Governance Act of 2016 (Act 936), which mandates that administrative offices be situated within the district capital.

“There is confusion, and this confusion is why today we want clarification from the District Assembly,” stated Paramount Chief Naa Yelkuan Bawele II.

He emphasized that the traditional councils are united in pleading with the government to intervene and return the project to the rightful district capital.

Secretary to the Paramount Chief, Mr. Naa Bismark Bietuari, handed over the petition to the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District Chief Executive, James Wor, on behalf of the chiefs.

He noted that the original publicly advertised tender documents clearly specified Issa as the designated location for the complex.

He described the sudden redirection of the project as unjustified and warned that it threatens the peaceful coexistence the communities of Issa and Daffiama have shared for decades.

The community also raised concerns about severe marginalization and financial inequities within the district. Local leaders highlighted a stark contrast in internal revenue generation, claiming Issa generated over GH₵102,000 last year compared to Daffiama’s GH₵3,800, yet Issa continues to be starved of equitable development.

Currently, the district’s GES office operates in Daffiama, a temporary arrangement made due to a lack of infrastructure when the district was first created. Local officials argue that this misplaced setup drains substantial funds through unnecessary travel expenses for official meetings.

The chiefs issued a stern warning, noting that if the original contract terms are not honored, they are prepared to use all legal means of protest, including barring contractors from accessing the new site.

District Chief Executive for DBI, James Wor, upon receiving the petition, thanked the chiefs and demonstrators for their peaceful conduct and promised to forward it to the appropriate authorities for resolution.

He urged the community to remain calm, emphasizing that they are one people with a shared desire for development and should not allow this issue to divide them.