Bimbilla (N/R), April 27, GNA - The people of the Eastern Corridor i= n the Northern Region have appealed to the government to construct the East= ern Corridor roads to speed-up the development of the area. The Eastern Corridor roads link the Northern Region through Nanumba North and Nanumba South districts and the Volta Region to Accra. They said the bad road network in the area was affecting the socio-economic development of the area and increasing poverty among the people. The people said this at Bimbilla in the Nanumba North District at the weekend during a durbar to welcome the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Mos= es Mabengba, to the area.

The District Chief Executive for Nanumba North, Mr. Mohammed Ibin-Aba= ss, said there is no tarred road in the area and the feeder roads are not motorable especially in the raining season. He said the Eastern Corridor roads had been on the drawing board for=

far too long and it was time the government started constructing the road= .. "It is the shortest road linking the northern sector to the southern=

parts of the country," he said.

Mr. Jatoh Jaspar Moayi, the DCE for Kpandai, said the area was known for its production of yam, maize and cassava and moving these farm produce to=

market centres had always been difficult. Mr. Moayi said though the district was just two years old, numerous development had started and currently there are about 10 bungalows being constructed at the cost of GH¢960,000.

He said funding for the projects were from the District Wide Assistan= t Project (DWAP) and the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) and appealed to government for support. Mr Mabengba urged the people to be patient with the government for t= he Eastern Corridor roads to be constructed adding that the road would surel= y be constructed before 2012. He said government was searching for competent contractors who would=

deliver quality work and that is what is causing the delay.