Kumasi, Sept. 22, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will on Wednesday, September 27 embark on an inspection tour of ongoing development projects in the Kumasi metropolis.

A source at the Manhyia Palace told the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Thursday that the tour would enable the Asantehene acquaint himself with progress of work of various development project being executed by the government and other agencies in the metropolis.

The source mentioned some of the project sites to be visited as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the City Hotel project and the Asafo Market Interchange.

He said the Asantehene, who would be accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Chief Executive, heads of departments and some chiefs, would also take advantage to know some of the challenges facing the contractors executing the projects.

According to the source, the proposed tour is a clear manifestation of the Asantehene's interest in the ongoing projects and his desire to see them speedily completed to promote the growth and development of the garden city.

The Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who had demonstrated enormous ability as a development-oriented traditional ruler, is taking a further step to ensure that all bottlenecks were removed to pave way for the early completion of the projects in his Kingdom, it added. Residents in Kumasi have in recent times complained bitterly about the delay in the execution of some development projects in the metropolis.

Notable among them is the Asafo-Adum interchange, which had been causing a lot of inconvenience and congestion in the metropolis. Some residents have also raised concerns about the design of the interchange project and the shoddy work at the Kejetia lorry terminal as well as the construction of high-rise buildings at Kejetia, which were causing a lot of congestion for motorists and passengers. Others have also expressed concern about the inability of the government to rehabilitate and revive some of the collapsed industries in the metropolis as it promised sometime ago.

The City Hotel, which is one of the dearest projects in the heart of the residents, is currently under renovation and it's expected to be completed in the latter part of 2007.