Regional News of Monday, 31 August 2020

Source: Joe Marfo, Contributor

Amansie West communities cry over deplorable roads

Poor road network in the Amansie West district Poor road network in the Amansie West district

Residents of Mpatuam among 8 other communities in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region have called on authorities to fix the deplorable road network in the district.

The indigenes told Newstimesgh.com reporter Joe Marfo that the poor state of the roads has affected their social and economic lives.

The indigenes of the 9 farming communities namely, Mpatuam, Ahwerewa, Esase, Manhyia, Aboabo/Tetekaaso, Tetrem, Bonteso, Gyininso and Akataniaso in an interview said they will not vote come December 7, 2020, if their roads are not fixed.

The residents said the bad state of the roads compels drivers to stop working particularly when it rains. During the dry season, the situation is unbearable.

The chief (Odikro) of Mpatuam, Nana Asamoah Tia Il declared that several petitions have been submitted to the Ministry of Roads and Highways yet the roads remain unfixed.

He said, “we have never had tarred roads here. Meanwhile, there are mining companies on our land working day in day out yet our roads are poor to the detriment. This is a complete shame; it’s also an insult on us and big disgrace to Ghana. So can’t past and present governments use part of the money which is generated here to fix our roads ?”

The Mpatuam chief, however, has pleaded with the government to as a matter of urgency fix the poor roads before the general elections.

The chief declared that he and opinion leaders of the 9 communities are going to start a campaign dubbed “operation no road no vote” in the coming days.