Residents of Banung-Goma in the Baayiri Electoral Area of the Wa East District have expressed their frustration over having only one borehole serving the entire community.
They explained that during the rainy season, they can access water from the borehole, but in the dry season, it becomes difficult to obtain water. The borehole, which was drilled years ago, was intended to alleviate their water crisis, but it is now serving a population far beyond its capacity.
In an interview with Info Radio, residents shared that due to the inadequate number of boreholes, they often spend hours waiting to collect water.
"Access to water is a significant challenge for our community. While there is a borehole available, it is not functioning adequately, forcing us to wait in long lines for hours to fill our containers. The water flow is very slow; after filling two drums, we often have to wait several hours before we can get more."
Mr. Yussif Mahama, a resident, expressed disappointment over the lack of adequate water sources in their community, which is negatively affecting their animals.
“Our first challenge is water; we are thirsty as I speak to you now. The women go to fetch water, and they take a long time, which makes it difficult for them to prepare food for us. All our animals are dying due to the lack of water,” he stated.
The Chief of Banung-koma, Naa Nasirudeen Mohammed, also outlined the challenges his people are facing. He restated the concerns raised by community members, expressing disappointment in consecutive governments for their neglect of the community.
“I think politicians are taking this community for granted and have deceived us for far too long. They only come here when they need us to vote for them. After the elections, we don’t hear from them again. We don’t have water, electricity and good roads. These are our challenges.”
He made a passionate appeal to the government and philanthropists to come to the aid of the community.