In an interview with Ghana Districts, the Chief lamented that while other communities are benefitting from national development initiatives, Banko continues to be overlooked.

"It is incredibly frustrating to look around my own neighborhood and feel like the development taking place in other parts of the communities is completely bypassing Banko," he said.

He noted that even critical institutions such as Banko Senior High School (SHS) and the local police post have suffered from severe infrastructure deficits for years.

Government Projects Bypassing Banko?

Nana Kwarteng Sefa, a representative of the Banko Traditional Council, pointed out that massive infrastructure packages are currently being executed through national budgets—including the recent $300 million World Bank-funded secondary school upgrade initiative and countrywide allocations for police station renovations.

Yet, he questioned:

"Has the Banko community not been captured in the immediate rollout? Because it easily feels like nothing is happening at all in our institutions."

According to Nana Sefa, the neglect spans both the previous and current governments.

"I can boldly tell you that Banko has been neglected by the Sekyere Kumawu District in terms of development under both the past and present administrations," he told Ghana Districts.

Abandoned Projects and Dilapidated Facilities

The Chief and the traditional council are now calling on the government, the Ashanti Regional Minister, and the District Chief Executive of Sekyere Kumawu to urgently address their concerns.

The situation on the ground is dire:

• The Banko police post project, which began four years ago, has been abandoned.
• The boys' and girls' dormitories at Banko SHS collapsed several years ago, with no action taken by either the previous or current administration.

"As it stands now, no concrete steps have been taken to fix these problems," Nana Sefa added.

Community Relies on Individual Efforts

He further revealed that in the absence of government support, it has been individuals within the community who have stepped in to initiate some development projects.

"It has been some individuals who have been helping me to initiate some of our community projects," he stated.

A Plea for Government Intervention

The Banko Chief expressed a heartfelt appeal:

"I would be happy to see some government projects in my community—most especially the Banko Senior High School boys' and girls' dormitory and the dining hall as well."

The traditional council, opinion leaders, and the people of Banko are now awaiting a response from authorities, hopeful that their plea will not fall on deaf ears.