President John Dramani Mahama has continued his Thank You Tour to the Savannah region of Ghana.
The president expressed profound appreciation to the chiefs and people of Gonjaland for the support shown him over the past years and assured he will work tirelessly to promote development. He thanked them for standing by him during the recent elections and appealed for more support in the coming years.
The president’s team included NDC General Secretary Fiifi Kwetey, deputy Communication Officer Malik Basintale, deputy Lands and Natural resources minister Yussif Sulemana Ori, minister of Energy John Jinapor.
Others are Savannah regional minister Lawyer Salisu Bi-awurbe Isifu Esq, MPs, MDCEs, government appointees, and party leadership from the area.
Addressing the chiefs and people of the Savannah region, John Mahama said he will establish a university of agriculture and allied sciences, training college, STEM SHS, and TVET Center of Excellence.
Education remains the bedrock of Ghana and Savannah region landscape won’t be left out. A university will be established as well as completion of a training college which was started under his previous administration but was abandoned after the 2016 elections defeat.
“Education remains the bedrock of our nation’s progress and in line with the NDC 2024 manifesto commitment to equalizing access to quality education across the regions, we have taken bold steps to transform the educational landscape of the Savannah region.
I am proud to announce that in line with the NDC 2024 manifesto to establish a public university in all the six (6) new regions, the public university will be established in the Savannah region. It will be a university whose focus will be on Agriculture and the Allied Sciences. This university will train the human resources necessary to drive our ‘Feed Ghana program’ and agriculture for the economic transformation agenda”.
“I have asked the minister of education to establish a STEM SHS in Tinga in the Bole district, and set up a TVET Center of Excellence in Salaga. This will provide hands-on vocational training in ICT, construction, green technology, and agri-business”, he added.
He announced the absorption of Savannah College of Education in Daboya as a Public Teacher Training institution and a directive to GTEC and GETFUND to fast track the official recruitment of staff and infrastructure development in the school.
Furthermore, work on the abandoned college of education at Doli, near Bole, which was begun under my previous administration will resume this year, he stated.
Access to clean water is not a luxury, it is a basic right. The Damongo water supply system which has been delayed for far too long will come on stream. We have all the designs ready and have been offered funding by the European Union to execute the project. This project will draw water from the white volta at Yapei and supply to the West to Damongo and, I am happy to announce that it will serve the over 8,000 residence of Damongo and all communities along the water pipelines, he disclosed.
John Mahama said roads are not just physical structures, they are instruments of progress and under the NDC national infrastructure master plan called the BIG PUSH, we are focused on linking food producing regions to markets to reduce traveling times.
In this regard I wish to assure you that the Damongo-Fufulso-Sawla road which witnessed a major upgrade under my last administration will see new rehabilitation work.
I am aware of the deterioration of the road from Damongo to Sawla and a contractor will soon be on that road to repair that section.
The Techiman-Bole-Wa road will be worked on under the Big Push infrastructure development plan
Work on the Daboya bridge is ongoing. We will fund that bridge and continue its construction and I hope that, soon Yagbonwura BiiKunuto Jewu Soale I will be able to join me to commission the Daboya bridge.
Other bridges like the Buipe and Yapei ones are undergoing reconstruction because the old bridges are weak and could collapse anytime.
Roads will be opened from Central Gonja district to link up to Salaga North and Salaga South. These roads are the Yapei-Binjai-Salaga road, Kusaugu-Kpinjipe road, Adape road, Mpaha to Binjai road.
Busunu-Daboya-Mankarigu-Funbisi-Navrongo road, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district roads, Bole-Chache road, Bole town roads will all be worked on.
John Mahama revealed that a regional hospital and a modern sports stadium will be built in Damongo, the Savannah regional capital.
Regional Development Investment Plans will be drawn up for all the six newly created regions including the Savannah region. These plans are to allow the new regions to catch up with the older regions. The plans will align our local priorities with national budget allocations from feeder roads to irrigation, healthcare to digital infrastructure.
The commitment to develop the area is reflected not only in policy but also in practice through the caliber of the number of sons and daughters of the Savannah region who have been appointed to work in my administration.
John Dramani Mahama said he has instructed the Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor and Finance minister to intensely monitor developments and implement measures to protect Ghana’s fuel interests. The president said Ghana is not immune from the external shocks and therefore must prepare measures to protect the recent gains Ghana has made since his administration assumed office in January 2025.
John Mahama visited the Savannah region for his Thank you Tour to the Savannah region in Damongo on Saturday 14th June, 2025.
Abdulai Zulkaninu.
