Agona Swedru, Aug 5, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, has appealed to chiefs and people of Agona Swedru to desist from politicizing the repairing of the broken down bridges in the town.

She said the politicization of pertinent issues such as the flood and the construction of the bridges could affect socio-economic advancement of Swedru and the Central Region.

Mrs Doe said this when she interacted with the Swedruman Council of Chiefs to brief them on the construction of the two bridges over River Akora which collapsed on June 20 as a result of heavy downpour.

She said engineers had accessed the basement of the bridge on Texaco-Chapel Square main road and found that there was nothing wrong with the bridge.

The Swedruman Council of Chiefs had protested against the repairing of the broken down bridges, rather they wanted them to be pulled down and a new one built.

The Regional Minister said the government would not turn its back on the people of Agona Swedru and would therefore give the people their fair share of the national cake irrespective of their political affiliation.

She said the government had plans to rehabilitate roads in the town.

Nana Essieni, Nifahene of Agona Swedru, said the chiefs had not opposed the repairing of the bridges because it would help restore social and commercial activities in the town.

He said that about 20 years ago, engineers from the Ghana Highways Authority headquarters informed the chiefs that the life span of the bridges had elapsed and that a new bridge would be built at the bye-pass to enable timber trucks to use it.

He said it was upon that information that the chiefs were calling for the construction of a new bridge instead of repairing it.

Nana Bedu Ehuren, Sanaahene of Swedru, said the chiefs wanted the contractor to brief them about the design of the bridges to enable them to educate the youth.

Nana Ehuren said the chiefs would not do anything that would undermine the government's efforts to repair the bridges.