By James Esuon, GNA
Agona Swedru (C/R), May 24, GNA – Commuters plying the Swedru/Akim Oda stretch have made urgent appeal to President John Mahama to as a matter of urgency, include that road in the big push projects to facilitate easy transportation of goods and services.
According to the commuters, successive governments have abandoned the stretch to the detriment of users for years and it had become extremely difficult within the last three days of heavy downpour, rendering the stretch unmotorable.
They lamented that the stretch from Swedru to Akim Oda was awarded on contract by the previous government, but the contractor abandoned the site.
Speaking to the GNA in an interview at Agona Swedru in the Agona West Municipality of the Central region, Mr Kweku Attah one of the commuters said most commercial drivers have stopped using the stretch because their vehicles kept breaking down
He stated that if care was not taken, from June to July where the major rains start, the communities must along the stretch would be completely cut off.
Madam Efuah Tawiah, a trader from Agona Nyakrom appealed to President Mahama to come to the aid of the people and award the road to a contractor, adding that the previous government awarded it but immediately after the 2024 elections the contractor left site for no apparent reason.
She said it was sad and worrying that during the electioneering campaigns the political leaders came out from their comfort zones to offer big promises to construct the road, provide health, educational infrastructures among others, but there had been no show yet.
Madam Tawiah appealed to two traditional leaders of Agona Nyakrom and Agona Nsaba to rise to the occasion and speak against the abandonment of such important road projects because residents were suffering and were going through stress and anxiety.
She said commuting to ply her trade as a trader had become a horror, particularly in this rainy continuous heavy down pour season.
Mr Kofi Nyame, a commercial driver complained that car owners were sick and tired of buying tyres, back axels, and other vital spare parts every week due to the poor nature of the Swedru/Akim Oda and other roads.
He cautioned that if the situation persisted the drivers plying the stretch would advise themselves in the next future elections because the drivers pay income taxes and road tolls to the government and District Assemblies for national development.
Mr Nyame said both the commuters as well as the drivers were suffering and appealed to President Mahama, the Minister of Roads and Highway and other stakeholders to fix the roads.
Mr Addea-Mensah, another driver regretted the District Assemblies set up as a decentralisation tool to drive development had failed.
“District/Municipal Assemblies have become mediocre entity, wasting resources, resources that are meant for rapid development of the localities.”
He said the continuous silence of Ghanaians has given the political leadership the impetus to take Ghanaians for granted, adding that there was no sense of urgency in a quest for equitable distribution of development across the communities.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Linda Asante Agyei