WORK ON ATEBUBU-KWAME DANSO ROAD TO BEGIN — NYAMEKYE-MARFO (PAGE 13, JUNE 30, 2010)

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye –Marfo, has given the assurance that, work will soon begin on the Atebubu- Kwame Danso road and beyond, which has been in a deplorable state for a considerable number of years now.
According to Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, the contractor was currently having discussions with the consultants of the project on the cost component and when the deal was finally concluded, the construction company would quickly move in to commence work.
The assurance by the Regional Minister, followed agitations and concerns raised by some traditional authorities in the Atebubu/Amantin district, stating unequivocally that, even though the people in the area had constantly shown faith and commitment to the past and present National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments they had not been fairly treated, especially, regarding the deteriorated nature of their road network.
Nana Adu Atta Ababio, the Omanhene of Wiase Traditional Area, Nana Yaw Owusu, the acting President of the Dwan Traditional Council and Nana Osei Atuahene, the acting President of the Bassa Traditional Council, expressed their separate sentiments when the Regional Minister paid courtesy calls at their palaces as part of his three-day working visit to the area.
The Regional Minister was accompanied by Mr Felix B. Chaahaah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director and some members of the NDC.
Arguing out their case, the chiefs explained that, the district was endowed with a lot of resources, including food and other crops, fish and others but noted that, it was difficult to transport those items from the farms to the commercial centres for sale, a situation they said, had aggravated the poverty level of the people.
They said, owing to the bad nature of the road, there had been an increase in maternal deaths, since those who were normally referred, lost their lives midway to the bigger health facility they had been referred for further observation or treatment.
Besides, the chiefs noted that business people were scared to come to the area to do business while teachers and other government officials either felt reluctant to accept postings and transfers or blatantly refused to honour such movements at all.
It was in response to these sentiments that the Regional Minister gave the assurance that all was set for work to start on the road in earnest and that, the government was committed to ensuring that, the road was tarred to the admiration of the people.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo appealed to the chiefs to release land for the planting of trees as part of the government’s greening Ghana programme, adding that, those who parted with their parcels of land would benefit from a percentage share of the final product when it matured.
Earlier in the Atebubu/Amantin District, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Sanja Nanja, led the regional minister to inspect a number of ongoing and completed projects that had been undertaken by the assembly and also interacted with the staff of the Atebubu District health facility as well as the Atebubu traditional council members.