District Chief Executive for Nabdam, Hon. Francis Yenwona Tobig, has detailed ongoing efforts to tackle staffing shortages in the health sector, elephant raids on farms, limited access to clean energy, and gaps in education infrastructure, while speaking on the Bluewaves Breakfast Show.
Addressing health infrastructure and staffing, Tobig said housing for health workers remains a major obstacle. “When we address staffing, we must also consider accommodation and related infrastructure, as housing health workers is a persistent difficulty,” he noted. The Assembly recently secured the posting of a Medical doctor but could not immediately house the professional, prompting a decision to construct dedicated accommodation this year so the doctor would not have to commute daily from Bolgatanga to Nangodi.
He highlighted progress on the CHPS compound at Soliga, which has reached roofing and plastering stage and includes limited apartments for nurses plus a mechanized water system. Expansion of the health directorate offices at Nangodi is also underway to provide proper working space and small conference rooms. At the Gundug CHPS compound, a maternity block has been handed over after the facility was earlier supported by the Member of Parliament, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, who provided nurses’ accommodation.
On agriculture, climate change and wildlife, Tobig pointed to the absence of dams for dry-season farming and the impact of erratic rainfall linked to climate change, which often leads to crop failure. Elephant raids compound the hardship for the largely farming population. “When you struggle to farm and your crops are raided by elephants, it pushes us further into the poverty line,” he said.
The district has engaged the Wildlife and Forestry Divisions, which have established a Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) covering the Bongo–Nabdam–Talensi belt.
Community groups help track elephant movements. Although wildlife officers remain few about five or six covering Bongo, Nabdam, Talensi and parts of the North East Region.
last year’s efforts reduced raids, and training for farmers on noise-making techniques supported by the MP is yielding results. Tobig expressed hope that investors would turn the elephant presence into a tourism opportunity rather than a threat, an issue he also raised at a recent PEARL programme in Bolgatanga.
Turning to clean energy, the DCE recalled the cylinder recirculation policy introduced under the Mills/Mahama administration. While many received cylinders, the high cost of fuel and lack of nearby filling stations force residents to travel to Bolgatanga, Zuarungu, or Yikene. Nabdam has about 2 stations but no gas-filling facility. Tobig is advocating for private investors to establish a local refilling point and revive the original model of tricycle operators collecting and distributing cylinders.
In education, a mechanized water system has been provided for teachers at the “Teacher’s Village” in Sakoti. Under the government’s One Million Programme aimed at digital inclusion, work is set to begin soon at St. John’s Primary School in Sakote, with a kindergarten project also planned at Kuten The district expects delivery of 1,000 pieces of furniture shortly, with another 1,000 planned for 2026 to fully equip classrooms.
Tobig did not provide specific cost figures or detailed timelines for all projects during the interview but indicated that furniture delivery is expected once tender processes are completed and that several health and infrastructure works are already at advanced stages.
The DCE reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to addressing these interconnected challenges affecting the people of Nabdam.
By Gayheart Abraham
Source: Mybluewavesonline.come/Maurice Duncan/Bolgatanga
