Hon. Thomas Duanab
District Chief Executive
DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The District Chief Executive for Talensi, Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson has pledged to work to improve the living conditions of the people of Talensi. Mr. Duanab noted that, the confidence reposed in him through the overwhelming endorsement by members of the assembly during the confirmation process makes him well-positioned to work closely with the people of Talenteng.For him to effectively deliver his mandate, the DCE has called for effective cooperation and tolerance from the people to develop the area.“For my people, I need cooperation from them. [They should] just understand that I can’t do all when you bring your issue but just have patience and we will look at how to deal with it. I want to assure them that I am here to work for them, so if I succeed they would be part of it, so I am prepared to work.”
My Vision
My overall vision for the Talensi District is to bring about significant improvements in the lives of the people of the district at the end of my tenure of office. Though there are many sectors of the District economy, I would want to concentrate on basic education, agriculture, road network and the environment.
As somebody with professional teaching background, it is sad to note that performance in BECE examinations over the past decade in the District is poor. For example, less than 50% of all candidates who sit the BECE are able to make it to Senior High Schools. Besides this phenomenon, there are high levels of school drop-outs owing activities of small-scale mining, poverty and cultural factors especially in the case of the girl-child.
Furthermore, there are many communities with weak infrastructure, inadequate school buildings and furniture. Knowing that sound education is key to the future development of any economy, steps are being taken with stakeholders of education in the District to improve upon teaching and learning. Some of the steps included motivation of teachers, frequent workshops for capacity building and effective supervision.
I will also initiate steps to reduce if not eliminate the participation of children of school going age in small scale gold mining activities in the area whilst ensuring that public education on the need for parents to send their children to school continues. Currently, there is commitment in the 2018 budget to rehabilitate a number of schools whilst new ones will be built. School furniture has also become a priority area and the District since my assumption of office is committed to providing over 2000 pieces of dual desks as part of our 1 million per constituency projects. These efforts will be carried out every year throughout my tenure.
Agriculture is the main economic activity of the district. An improvement in this sector, through modernization, will go a long way to improve incomes and employment opportunities. Currently government is making available affordable farm inputs and providing extension services to the vast majority of farmers through its flagship project, Planting for Food and Jobs.
In line with agriculture, we are inviting investors to come and revamp the defunct Pwalugu tomato factory because there will be adequate supply of raw materials from the district and others including Bongo District and Kassena-Nakana Municipality. Other vegetables could also be cultivated for domestic consumption and export since there exist a newly constructed, huge and centrally air conditioned building for the storage of vegetables.
Another area that I will bring my knowledge to bear upon is the road network development which can be described as poor in the district. The Assembly needs to take steps to tar the road from Tongo central through Sheaga to Duusi. In doing so, I will liaise with the DCE for Nabdam District to also continue the road from the end of Duusi through Pelungu to Kongo junction to meet the Bolgatanga-Bawku road.
Another road of importance is the Tongo-TongoBeo road that also joins the Bolgatnga-Bawku road. The construction of these roads will not only ease traffic congestion in the central business district of Bolga, but also offer alternative and shorter routes to Bawku and Togo.
The Tongo-Duusi road when constructed will open up the hinterlands for developmental purposes. Also the Yinduri-santeng and Wakii-Tengzug roads when constructed will improve upon tourism development as Tenzug, Yinduri and Santeng area can be described as the epicenter of Talensi culture.
As an academic whose research is into cultural tourism, I will make efforts to improve upon social infrastructure in this area as well as encourage the construction of an Eco-museum that preserves critical artefacts that tell the story of the entire Talensi land.
As a geographer, I am also concerned about the fast degradation of the physical environment in the district. I have plans to embark on a project dabbed greening Talensi. This project will be prosecuted from different angles using the existing opportunities. The first is to partner with school authorities to embark on three planting around the various schools. The second is to use forest brigades that YEA will employ to protect the existing vegetation through the creation of fire belts, limiting the use of wood as fuel at home and also preventing the feeling of rosewoods in the forest. I have started liaising with World Vision, Ghana to assist the Assembly to replicate their afforestation models of acacia trees planted in Namoalug and Tongo Beo both in the district.
Past DCE’s
Hon. Anaba Anabila
2008 – 2009
Hon. Ms Vivian Anafo
2009 – 2012
Hon. Edward Awunnore
2013 – 2016
Hon. Christopher Boatbil
2017– 2020