Land compensation dispute delaying Upper East Regional Hospital upgrade — Minister
The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, has said the development and planned upgrade of the Upper East Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital was being hampered by an unresolved land compensation dispute.
According to him, the delays had stalled the construction of a perimeter fence wall for the hospital, raising security concerns and threatening the facility’s readiness to support the training of medical doctors at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), in Navrongo.
The Minister made this known at the BONABOTO’s biennial congress and 25th anniversary celebration,” at Damolgo-Tindongo in the Nabdam District, on Tuesday, [December 30, 2025].
It was held under the theme: “BONABOTO @25: Celebrating our legacy, unity, advocacy, culture and impact - the journey continues”
BONABOTO is a non-partisan association of citizens drawn from Bolgatanga, Nangodi, Bongo and Tongo, established to promote unity and advance socio-economic development within its catchment areas.
Mr Atanga explained that unresolved compensation claims by landowners had made it impossible for work on the hospital’s fence wall to proceed, despite its strategic importance.
“The hospital is slated for an upgrade to a teaching hospital, but the absence of a perimeter fence remains a major concern. Unresolved land compensation issues continue to delay this critical project,” he said.
He revealed that in one troubling case, a landowner had formally petitioned the Regional Health Directorate, threatening to demolish a bungalow situated on his ancestral land unless compensation demands were met.
While commending BONABOTO for intervening to calm tensions, the Minister stressed that such incidents underscored the need for stronger community engagement to protect public infrastructure.
The Regional Minister called on BONABOTO to use its influence to engage landowners and traditional authorities to help resolve the impasse, while assuring that he was in active discussions with the Ministry of Health to ensure the timely payment of compensation.
“Safeguarding public assets is a collective responsibility. Development cannot thrive where compensation disputes persist,” he added.
Beyond the hospital challenges, he drew attention to lingering chieftaincy and land boundary disputes that continue to affect development across the region.
He cited the Bolgatanga Skin dispute, currently before the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs and urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect the final ruling in the interest of peace.
He also mentioned the longstanding boundary dispute between Tongo-Beo and Zuarungu, noting that although tensions had reduced through BONABOTO’s engagement with traditional authorities, sustained dialogue remained necessary.
The National President of BONABOTO, Prof. Samuel Awinkene Atintono, underscored the need for collective responsibility and renewed commitment to development, stressing that institutions endure not merely by the passage of time, but by the actions of the people who sustain them.
“Time alone does not make institutions grow; people do. Today, we do not merely count years, but account for impact, purpose and continuity,” he said.
He explained that the celebration of BONABOTO’s 25th anniversary was not an end in itself, but an opportunity for reflection and recommitment to the development aspirations of the people.
Prof. Atintono emphasised that development could not thrive in an environment of conflict and mistrust, pointing to land disputes, chieftaincy conflicts and governance challenges as major obstacles to progress in the region.
“The drum that speaks truth is never beaten in vain. Development cannot take root where peace is fragile and collective responsibility is weak,” he stated.
