By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Shama (WR), July 19, GNA – Mr Erickson Abakah, the Member of Parliament for the Shama constituency says, roads in the district will soon witness some reshaping and asphalting to halt the transportation challenges in the area.
Already, plans were far advanced with the government, to procure a contractor to move to site in the next few months.
Mr Abakah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that, CORE construction, a renowned civil engineering company in good standing would undertake the repair works.
The company, he said, would start with the reshaping and asphalting of the main Shama Junction to Shama township road, Komfeku and Nyankrom roads among others.
The Member of Parliament has therefore, called on residents in the district to exercise restraints as the government made moves to improve on road network in the area.
Earlier in the month of July, some residents of the district, together with some GPRTU executives took to the Street in protest of the bad road network in most streets within the area.
The almost six hours demonstration saw protestors wielding placards, chanting war songs and blocking major entrances with tyres set ablaze.
They hoisted placards which read: ‘Shama road is total wickedness’, enough of the deception’, Oh! Why are we neglected?’, Are we aliens?’, Why are you punishing us?’, “The hospital is a mirage’, and ‘It’s our right to have good roads’.
They complained that, over the years, their road network had deteriorated and that, successive governments had failed to listen to their concerns, thereby creating untold hardships in Shama district economically.
The residents added that, the deplorable road condition from Nyankrom to the Takoradi -Accra highway worsened especially during heavy rains, adding that, social and economic life were seriously affected.
The demonstrators, disrupted academic and business activities in the area for the day and only took the intervention of the Regional Police Commander, ACP Akoto Osei, to allow some sanity to prevail temporarily.
The situation necessitated police reinforcement to restore order.
Nana Akosua Gyamfuaba, the Queen Mother of Nyankrom was sad that the area had not benefitted from even a half kilometre road tarred under the year of roads concept by the government.
The GPRTU Chairman, Mr John Armoo, also spoke about the ‘pains’ drivers endured in plying the Nyankrom, Botogeyena, Komfeku, Aboadze, Abuesi routes and Shama district capital.
Nana Wurapa II, leader of the demonstrators said citizens could no more be spectators indeed.
GNA