Sunyani, Dec. 24, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bono Region has shot down claims that the government has neglected Sunyani, the regional capital, saying, this is not consistent with facts.
The Sunyani Youth Development Association, recently hit the streets to demand that the town, is given its fair share of development projects, but the NPP regional executives in a statement discounted that, describing the claim as untrue.
The party’s statement signed by Mr. Seth Asare Bediako, the Regional Communications Director, said the allegation by the association that a regional library project had been abandon was at odds with reality.
“Work on the library project was started by the former John Agyekum Kufuor’s-led NPP administration, but was completely abandoned throughout the eight years of the National Democratic Congress governments after they took power in January 2009.
“It is however refreshing to note that construction works resumed upon the assumption of office by President Akufo-Addo in January 2017. In fact, portions of the project have been completed with some workers currently using them while strenuous efforts are being made to complete the rest of the monumental project”, the statement said.
Touching on infrastructure at the Sunyani Technical University (STU), it said that following its conversion from a Polytechnic to a Technical University, a number of infrastructural developments had been undertaken on campus.
“In November 2020, the then Minister of Environment, Science and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng inaugurated the first phase of the Science Park project at the STU.
“In fact our checks at the University prove the institution has now adequate lecture halls after the inauguration of the project.
“STU is also benefiting from the construction of a new and ultra-modern workshop which is nearing completion and it is therefore erroneous for the impression to be created that nothing at all has been done to increase the infrastructural base of the institution because the reality on the ground does not support this propaganda”.
The statement said the Sunyani Airport, which was constructed in 1969 was forced to shut down in 2015 because of its deplorable state at the time, but over the last three to four years it had seen massive expansion works.
“We want to inform the good people of Sunyani and indeed the entire region and our neighboring regions that the first phase of the Sunyani Airport expansion project, according to contractors, is 95 per cent complete.
“In fact, the Airport is expected to be opened within the first quarter of next year. Already some domestic airlines have begun looking for office accommodation to facilitate their operations as soon as the airport is opened early next year”, it added.
The party said it was confident that this would significantly boost socio-economic activities in and around the Bono region.
It said construction works on the Sunyani City Inner Roads project were steadily progressing and that the people in the town would attest to this.
“Under the Syno-hydro deal alone, Sunyani is benefitting from a total of 29 kilometres of inner-city roads in addition to other roads, including the much talked-about New Dormaa-Kotokrom-Yawhima road.
“As we can all attest to, contractors are on site and work is progressing steadily on all these road projects”.
The party said it was also not true that the government had abandoned plans to construct a new Sports Stadium in Sunyani, pointing out that the project had been captured in the 2022 budget.
“The impression that the planned rehabilitation of Coronation Park would result in the government not constructing the proposed new Sports Stadium is very unfortunate. The two are separate projects, one is rehabilitation and the other is the construction of a new FIFA standard stadium.”
The statement applauded the for the Secondary City project in Sunyani, which had given the regional capital a face-lift.
“Under the project, pedestrian walk-ways and street-lights have been provided along major streets in the town, something we wish the demonstrators commend the government for.”
The party made reference to the recently-inaugurated Regional Command office for the Ghana National Fire Service and said “this project has come as a big relief to the officers and staff of the GNFS in the discharge of their duties. More importantly, it will enable them to respond swiftly to fire-outbreaks in this area”.
GNA