By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), Oct. 01, GNA – Mr Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has expressed satisfaction with the work done on the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) culvert project at Zingu in the Wa Municipality.
He explained that the culvert project executed by Licos Enterprise but was washed away by a heavy downpour less than three months after its completion was of high standard.
“As far as I am concerned, I am satisfied with the work of the contractor and anyone who understands will know that natural occurrences, no one has control over it,” he explained.
Mr Moomin said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in response to a story the Agency published on September 25, 2024, on the destruction of the project and concerns raised by the chief and people of the Zingu community regarding the project.
The MCE explained that the construction of the culvert formed part of a GHȻ1.2 million project to reshape and do spot improvement of the Wa-Zingu road.
Mr Moomin acknowledged that water from some parts of the Wa East District and the Wa Municipality passed through the valley at Zingu through to the Black Volta.
He, however, insisted that the two “small culverts” which he referred to as “relieving culverts” and a big culvert were enough to complement an existing culvert to contain the water.
However, contrary to the assertion of the high-quality work by the contractor, the people of the Zingu community argued that the culvert constructed was not of standard to contain the magnitude of water that passed through that valley.
Naa Nuhu Yuoni, the Chief of the community stated that they expected bigger culverts or a bridge instead of the smaller ones that had been done.
A visit to the project site by the GNA on Monday, September 30, 2024, revealed that the washed-away culvert had been refilled.
Meanwhile, Mr Osman Abdulai, a resident of the community, told the GNA that the road had not been reshaped as the MCE mentioned.
“The road has not been graded. It was graded last year, not this year,” he explained.
“If the MCE says he is satisfied with this work, then it is because he is not affected by this valley.
If he were staying in this community (Zingu) or any community around here he would not have said that” Mr Abdulai added.
The MCE declined to identify the contractor in charge of that project. There was also no project signpost at the site.
GNA