I would like to begin by recognizing and earnestly acknowledging Mahama Haruna, a gentleman whose dedication to the development and welfare of Gonjaland is the quintessence of devotion, dedication and hard work. For many of us, across generations, he has provided our strongest moral compass and inspiration, the most vivid remembrance of Gonja history, and has not hesitated to express his views on issues of national and regional importance. Whenever he releases a write-up pertaining to the history of Gonjaland or the way forward for the region, thousands of us stop to read, learn and ponder.
Nevertheless, and with all due respect, I do not agree with his recent comments on the proposed Catholic Science and Technology University and the basis for discussion on the location of the proposed university. My first question is simple, yet consequential. Does Mahama Haruna knows the terms of engagement between the Catholic Church and the government? From all indications the Catholic Church could be the lead initiator and primary developer, with government as a strategic partner – not the other way around. If that is the case, common sense would dictate that we should wait patiently, with decorum, until a Memorandum of Understanding is published. The Catholic Church, which has historically built schools and hospitals across the length and breath of the region, has the moral and institutional right to determine what is the best proposed location for its project.
Therefore, taking a knee-jerk response to the proposed location is not in Gonjaland’s best interests. National projects of this nature require patience and strategic calm, not public agitation with only partial information. Until the confirmation of any agreement between the Catholic Church and government is made public, it is prudent to stay united, composed, and diplomatic, rather than speculating.
In all of this, it is necessary to reassert a simple fact — Damongo is, and must remain, the undisputed administrative centre of the Savannah Region. This is not a matter of pride or politics, but simply a matter of logic, efficiency and sound governance.
When the Savannah Region was created from the Northern Region under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, it was not a setup for experimentation in politics. It was a structural reform, to bring governance closer to the people, faster and more efficiently. The creation of the region was based on decentralization by proximity of access rather than dispersion of administration. The logic was simple: one coordinating hub to drive development across the seven districts. Diluting that logic, even a little, by scattering regional institutions across multiple districts undermines proper administration policy
All serious administrative structures, in Ghana and elsewhere, all revolve around a capital that concentrates, and does not disperse governance. Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast, Ho all operate on the same administrative ladder: the capital hosts the regional offices because that is where the coordination occurs. To suggest otherwise is to misread the structure of governance. When officials have to travel from one district to another to facilitate regional business, the costs are multiplied, the supervision is diluted, and institutional accountability is lost. This is not decentralization; this is bureaucratic disorder. Scattering regional offices throughout the districts was and continues to be an ill-conceived policy decision. It sounds good and reasonable. But it fundamentally undermined and contradicts the very principle of creating the region in the first place. Not only is it inefficient, but it also increases cost.
Let’s be intellectual in good faith, a regional capital that doesn’t house its own regional offices is an amputated regional administration. A fig without form. The Savannah Regional Coordinating Council cannot efficiently handle agriculture in one district, health in another, and education in some other districts, and endeavor to retain working control at Damongo. Any journey, any visit, any handing over of documentation is an unwarranted financial burden of an already financially strained region. It necessitates the Regional Coordinating Council to function in piecemeal fashion, wasting scarce resources on inter-district supervision of regional departments all of which absorbs a finite Common Fund and stymies the development planning process. A region committed to development cannot afford these kind of institutional mistake.
In the case of the proposed Catholic Science and Technology University, the concerned parties who have been sounding objections ought to take time to comprehend the model of partnership. The Catholic Church is not an idler who has been enjoying the goodwill of the government – it is a prime development agent, spending its resources, networks, and reputation on educational infrastructure. The Church is entitled to and has the institutional wisdom to make the most strategic and sustainable location. Damongo provides such a base as the capital. It is convenient, stable and is already the nerve centre of the public life in the region. It is just logical to doubt that reasoning because it is disregarding both governance and geography.
The point that not every project is worth being in Damango does not hold water. No one claims that development can only be unique to a single town. Administrative organs however are not community based initiatives; they are regional systems. They are not intended to preeminantly benefit any district, but in order to do that, it is best to place them at a central, neutral point. That point is Damongo. It is geographically even, politically centrally located and symbolically uniting. Capital is not a guarantee, it is an obligation.
Administrative design cannot be defeated by population size or historical sentiments. The number of residents in one district compared to another does not automatically justify additional regional departments there. The regional capitals in Ghana were not established based on population; they were established based on function. Bole, Sawla and every other district should emphasize that, they are just as relevant in the shared development of the region – but they draw strength from a cohesive administrative capital, not from several points of weakened power. Damongo is not there to compete; Damongo is there to coordinate.
It does not auger well, but it must be told: Savannah Region will never grow so long as it is divided by false district jealousies. The fixation on hosting by whom is the best assurance of ensuring that the region remains stagnant. Development is not a prize to be won – it is an edifice to be constructed. Damongo should be left to play its constitutional mandate as the administrative capital and have all the regional departments whereby it is efficient, accountable and cost effective.
Only then will this region rise when its leaders and citizens will start to think like one, as one body and not seven districts that are pulling in opposite directions. The sooner we come to understand that, the quicker Savannah will develop.
This is vital to create fairness in all the districts, and thus it is imperative to have a central and impartial place of headquarters. This is why a particular location is the best answer to this role. The place is Damongo. It is strategically positioned, apolitical and unites people. Being a capital is not merely the title that one has but it also comes with its own shares of duties.
As for the DVLA regional office, it is common knowledge and I stand to be corrected, that Damongo was the original intended location before the decision was changed. The people of Damongo accepted the situation, with grace and in unison, and did not protest. But at the end of the day, the public needs to know, the existence of multi-regional offices weakens proper governance, splits focus and adds cost. We must stop fighting over pieces of a cake that is meant for the collective good, because true survival and progress are possible even when the cake is entrusted to one house, as long as it serves all of us. Let Damongo serve its organic role, so that the districts can then work from an area of focus with all the departments drawing openly from a stronger co-ordinated area for every district.
In summary, development is not a rivalry, it is a common objective. Bole, Damongo, and each district in the Savannah Region share the same destiny; to see this region rise and prosper. However, to achieve this, we need to think strategically and not emotionally. Every viable region in Ghana has a clearly defined administrative center. Savannah cannot be an exception.
By: Johannes Akunatu Pankani
Disclaimer:
This write-up reflects the personal reflections and observations of the author and not any group, the radio station or organization. Shared solely in the spirit of constructive dialogue and collective development. It is not intended to cast blame or misrepresent any individual, institution, or authority mentioned. All references are made with utmost respect and based on publicly available information. Readers are kindly encouraged to engage with the content thoughtfully and independently. Any unintended misinterpretations are sincerely regretted.
