By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Abesim, (Bono), June 30, GNA- Petty traders and businesses that were ejected to give way for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Sunyani-Abesim highway project are back along the stretch barely three after their ejection
The expansion of the highway was necessitated to control vehicular traffic that often recur at peak around 0800 hours to 1000 hours as well as 1400 hours to 1700 hours.
However, after clearing several shops, containers and chop bars and drinking spots as well as trees, billboards, signages and other affected structures, the contractors had not been on site for months now.
During a visit, the GNA noticed that some of the collapsed businesses were resurfacing, with petty trading and food vending as well as mobile money agents re-erecting their shops.
In an interview some of the affected traders, mostly women and artisanal workers, the GNA learned that they were highly disappointed in the city authorities and the government.
Some of them questioned: “If the government isn’t ready for the project, then why did they eject and collapse our businesses?”
Others said they knew the execution of the project would definitely affect their businesses and also slow down economic activities along the stretch; however, they were happy that the government intended to expand the highway.
“But for some months, we haven’t seen the contractors on site since we were removed months ago,” Madam Lucy Anima, a shop owner and chop bar operator stated.
Another petty trader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed: “This is very unfortunate because some of us still have nowhere to place our containers and shops.”
Mr Ransford Antwi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sunyani-based Suncity Group of Companies, operators of the Suncity Imperial Lodge, located close to the highway, regretted that the removal of the signages and billboard had had a huge toll on hotels operating in the area.
He said since the billboards and signages were cleared, many businesses and hotels in the area were now left with no visibility and therefore struggling to operate.
“In fact, if we knew we weren’t ready for the project to commence, why then did we rush to clear these billboards and signages, leaving these businesses in such a perilous situation? Mr Antwi, also the Election 2024 Independent Candidate in the Sunyani East Constituency, quizzed.
The GNA also noticed that virtually all the streetlights along the highway were not functioning, a situation contributing to poor security around the enclave.
According to some drivers using the stretch, the poor lighting system was contributing to a rise in criminal activities at night hours.
A taxi driver, Kofi Emmanuel who shared his experience told the GNA that he was attacked by some criminals around the Catholic Secretariat portion of the highway.
He said some passengers had also complained that some criminals had taken advantage of the poor lighting system, attacking and snatching their mobiles phones.
Efforts to contact Mr Vincent Antwi Agyei, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, were unsuccessful.
However, further checks reveal that the construction work on the project, being funded by the Municipal Assembly, had stalled because of lack of funds.
An Assembly personnel who confided in the GNA said that until the project execution was captured by the national budget, there was no way the assembly could fund it.
That implies that work on the project would resume possibly in 2027.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
Email: [email protected]