By Emmanuel Gamson, GNA
Asankragwa (W/R), Oct. 23, GNA – Chiefs and residents in communities along the Bawdie–Asankragwa road in the Western Region have mounted pressure on the government to replace the contractor working on the stalled 52-kilometre project.
The residents, who expressed frustration over repeated interruptions to construction, were demanding the termination of the contract awarded to Asabea Construction, citing deteriorating road conditions, frequent accidents, and safety concerns.
Their concerns have been heightened by a reported death of a young girl who fell into an open drain under construction, with residents accusing the contractor of failing to respond with the urgency required.
The 52-kilometre road connects the Amenfi East, Amenfi Central and Amenfi West constituencies in the Western Region, however, repeated stoppages have left sections of the road in poor condition, making travel difficult for motorists and other road users.
The Chiefs and residents said the contractor resumed work ahead of the 2024 general election, but abandoned the project after the polls, and questioned the contractor’s ability to complete the project, while urging the government to award the project to a new contractor.
Meanwhile, speaking during an engagement on the project, at Asankragwa, Mr Nelson Joseph, the Western Regional Minister, acknowledged the growing concerns and said the government would take the necessary steps to address the situation.
“Every road project is awarded with the expectation that it will bring relief to the people who use it, but when residents are dissatisfied with the quality and pace of work, it becomes necessary to take immediate action,” he said.
The Regional Minister noted that he had previously raised concerns about the contractor’s slow pace of work and expressed disappointment that the situation had rather worsened, saying; “We had hoped to see an improvement, but unfortunately, the situation is getting worse instead of better.”
Mr Peter Amponsah, the Amenfi Central District Chief Executive (DCE), said the situation had become particularly distressing following the death of the young girl, who reportedly fell into one of the open drains.
He said the drain had remained unattended for more than eight months and that the contractor had failed to act despite promising to address the problem within two weeks.
“I contacted Asabea Construction, and the contractor promised to fix it within two weeks, but nearly five weeks have passed, and nothing has been done, even after we all visited the site to assess the situation,” he said.
Mr Amponsah said the incident had heightened concerns among chiefs and the Assembly, renewing calls for urgent intervention to prevent further tragedies.
Mr Kingsley Mireku Konadu, Amenfi Central National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Chairman hopeful, said the deteriorating condition of the road had contributed to frequent crashes involving motorists and motorcyclists.
“We continue to record road accidents, with at least one involving a motorbike or car occurring every two weeks and this is largely due to the poor drainage works carried out by Asabea Construction,” he said.
He called on the government to replace the contractor, arguing that the continued delays were putting lives at risk.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Emmanuel Gamson
Email: [email protected]