The Issa Traditional Council in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District of the Upper West Region has accused the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Sebastian Sandaare and the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, headed by Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, of breaching statutory provisions in the alleged relocation of a Ghana Education Service (GES) district office complex and bungalow from Issa to Daffiama.
In a press statement issued on March 11, 2026, and read at a press conference in Issa, the council, led by Paramount Chief Naa Yelekuang Bawele II, described the decision as unlawful and a deliberate attempt to undermine the district’s administrative integrity and equitable development.
The council stated that the project was originally designated for Issa, the official district capital since 2012 and administrative centre since 1983, as clearly specified in publicly advertised tender documents. It argued that relocating the facility contravenes the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which requires key administrative offices to be sited at the district capital to ensure effective monitoring, management, and equitable service delivery.
The statement further claimed that any change in location without re-advertising the contract violates the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), as amended by Act 914 of 2016, which mandates fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination in procurement processes.
The traditional leaders alleged that the redirection of the project, funded through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), appears influenced by the MP for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa and could incite conflict between the Issa and Daffiama communities, which have coexisted peacefully for decades.
They highlighted practical inefficiencies caused by the current temporary GES office in Daffiama, including substantial travel costs and time burdens on teachers, officials, and the District Chief Executive—who chairs the District Education Oversight Committee—for meetings and oversight in Issa.
The council referenced past efforts to relocate the GES office to Issa, led by former District Chief Executive Hon. Sanda, which faced resistance but aimed at promoting balanced development.
In the statement, the Issa Traditional Council posed several pointed questions, including what stakeholder engagement occurred before the change, whether the contract was re-advertised, if the contractor bid for Issa or Daffiama as the site, and whether the decision stemmed from political pressures.
They demanded an immediate reversal of the relocation, adherence to the original tender, and explanations from the president, the Upper West Regional Minister, GETFund Administrator, and the MP. The council also called on the contractor not to mobilise to any site until all issues are resolved through proper procedures.
The statement warned that failure to comply would be viewed as deliberate neglect of Issa and the surrounding communities’ developmental needs, and that the council would resort to all legal means of protest, including barring contractors from site access.
