Sawla: Gateway to the Upper West Region
Sawla is the capital of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Northern Region. Since its inception as a district capital in 2004, it is quickly establishing itself as a cosmopolitan centre with thriving economic activities and businesses providing services to tourists.
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The district has a size of about 4,601 hectares and a population of 99,863, and was carved out of the Bole-Bamboi District in order to accelerate its development processes.
It has great tourism attraction sites such as the Mole National Park, the Larabanga Mosque and the Mystic Stone. Sawla is positioned distinctly at a junction on the Accra-Kumasi-Tamale highway and links the cities to the Upper West Region.
The location of Sawla is such that someone travelling from Accra must pass through the town before getting to the Upper West Region and would have to leave the region to Accra through it.
Because of its location, a number of businesses including banks, mobile phone companies, restaurants and shopping centres have sprung up in the town.
So from a humble beginning, Sawla has become a commercial hub with the characteristic hustle and bustle of people from all walks of life.
Development projects
A number of development projects are also ongoing, giving Sawla an image of a fast-growing urban settlement. For instance, the construction of the 147.5 kilometre Fufulso-Damango-Sawla road project which traverses three districts, including Central and West Gonja, is contributing to the spread of the area.
Other ongoing projects in the district include the construction of a GH¢2 billion assembly hall complex, a bungalow for the District Chief Executive estimated at GH¢969 million, a bungalow for the District Coordinating Director valued at GH¢923 million and a bungalow for the District Finance Officer estimated at GH¢801million. Others are the construction of residential blocks for police officers and two houses for teachers. A number of communities in the municipality are also being prepared to get connected to the national electricity grid.
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Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Chief Executive, Alhaji Mumuni Isaac Dramani, said there were more infrastructural developments in the pipeline, including upgrading works on the road from Sawla to the new site earmarked for the municipal assembly building.
Education
On education, he said, the assembly was working hard to eliminate schools under trees and in sheds. He added that new school buildings were being put up while others in dilapidated conditions were being rehabilitated all in an effort to improve on the intake of students in the municipality. He said the Sawla Senior High School, in particular, was established four years ago to absorb many junior high school students in the municipality who needed placement.
Alhaji Dramani said a number of classrooms, dining halls, dormitory blocks and administrative blocks were being constructed for various first and second cycle schools throughout the district in addition to the provision of furniture and other auxiliary facilities.
Revenue generation
He said as part of plans to open up the area, the district had projected to improve its revenue generation capacity . He mentioned that out of a targeted revenue income of about GH¢211,000 for 2014, the assembly was able to collect GH¢156,101 which constituted an achievement rate of 74 per cent.
"This remarkable achievement needs to be improved upon for us to hit our future projections of 100 per cent", he said.
In order to achieve this, the DCE said, he was adopting measures that would keep revenue collectors on their toes and encourage them to work harder to meet their targets.
He said the assembly intended to institute an awards scheme to reward committed and hardworking collectors to serve as motivation for them.
Agriculture
In agriculture, the DCE said the assembly hoped to provide farmers with improved stock of ruminants as a means of boosting livestock production. He said offsprings from the improved livestock would be distributed to other farmers in a communal animal rearing scheme.
Livestock is reared in the district on a large scale. About 80 per cent of households rear fowls, ducks, goats and sheep which are kept on a free range basis. Cattle and pigs are also reared in the district.
According to Alhaji Dramani, in spite of all the plans, the district still had challenges which he nonetheless believed could be surmounted with time. He commended members of the assembly for their cooperation saying he was optimistic that with time, the district would improve on its development plans in order to better the lives of the people.