By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UWR), Oct. 31, GNA – Several business operators along the Bamahu-Wa township road have been displaced following the commencement of demolition of structures to pave the way for the dualisation of the road under the Government’s flagship Big Push Infrastructure Programme.
The exercise, being undertaken by Messrs Maripoma Enterprise Limited, the contractor executing the Wa-Sawla highway project, had affected businesses, including pharmacies, eateries, printing presses, shops and pubs, among others, along that stretch.
The road dualisation was expected to start from the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), through Bamahu, to the Wa main Roundabout.
While the project was expected to improve transportation and create opportunities for economic growth, the affected business operators said the demolition has plunged them into uncertainty, with many struggling to secure alternative locations to continue their businesses.
Some of them, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, expressed support for the road project but appealed to the government to consider their livelihoods and provide measures to minimise the hardship caused by the exercise.
Madam Lutufia Yahaya, a printing press and stationery shop operator, said the demolition had affected her main source of income and left her and her six employees uncertain about how to sustain their families.
“We all want development because when there is development, it brings a lot of opportunities to the region, but inasmuch as we want development, we also want to eat”, she said.
Madam Yahaya said she had made several attempts to secure an alternative location for her business but had been unsuccessful.
“I have been chasing people around every day just to get a spot to put my container, but you won’t get one. When you go, they say it is for the government, and you cannot put it there”, she lamented.
Madam Yahaya appealed to the government to consider allowing businesses whose structures were not significantly obstructing the construction works to temporarily close and return after the contractor had completed work on those sections.
She also urged the government and the contractor to ensure that the construction works were completed within schedule to prevent prolonged disruptions to business activities.
Mr Abdalla Hashim, a tailor who had also been affected by the demolition, said he was worried about relocating his tailoring business, and that securing a suitable location in Wa for such business activities was difficult.
He expressed hope that after the construction, the affected operators would be allocated suitable places to reestablish their businesses and regain their sources of livelihood.
Mr Lovestone Damalie, Upper West Regional Director of Highways, said the Wa-Sawla road project, which began in January 2026, was expected to be completed within 36 months.
He said the contractor had undertaken roadside drainage and culvert-related works, widened some sections, and carried out filling, with sub-base works also progressing.
Mr Damalie explained that an evaluation team identified and marked the structures that needed to be removed to create space for the dualisation of the road in Wa.
“The owners of those structures have been given prior information, and those who qualify for compensation have had their details taken and will be duly compensated”, he said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Photo caption: Some demolished areas
Reporter: Philip Tengzu, GNA
Reporter’s email: [email protected]