Construction Of Fulfulso-Damango-Sawla Road Faces Challenge

PIECES OF Information reaching The Chronicle indicate that construction works on the 147.5 kilometer Fulfulso-Damango-Sawla main road has not only slowed down, but is also facing serious challenges, as residents living along the road are reportedly refusing to move their properties.

Some of the residents have reportedly engaged the contractors in confrontations, while others are also chasing drivers of excavators away, to prevent them from pulling down their buildings, stores and other provision shops.

As a result, the West Gonja District Assembly and the office of the Paramount Chief of Damongo have jointly served notice to occupants along the road, especially the Damongo Township, to immediately evacuate and make way for the ongoing construction work to continue, or they risk losing their properties.

The road, funded through a grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) is being constructed by Messrs China Waters and Electrical Corporation Limited and China Harbour and Engineering Limited who have up to thirty-six months to complete the work.

In view of this, the District Chief Executive and the Paramount Chief of Damongo, Damongowura Tuntumba Jakpa Lermu II, have ordered the owners of such temporary structures to move their properties by February 20, 2014, or the Assembly would have no option than to use force to evict them.

On a recent visit to the construction site to assess progress of work so far, the DCE, who was accompanied by the Damongowura and his Council of Elders, lamented about the fact that the same citizens who used to complain about successive governments failure to construct the road, are sadly now thwarting efforts of contractors, as well as the government, to make their dream come through.

According to Ali Kassim, the contractors have been given a time frame to work with. He indicated that the road was an international one and that the residents in the area must ensure that it is competed on time.

On his part, the Damongowura, who was furious about the adamant nature of people, who have their structures close to the road, said anyone who defies the order given by the DCE, would see the rough side of him on February 20, 2014.

Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle , the National Public Relations Officer of the Gonjaland Youth Association, Mahama Haruna, condemned the behavior of the residents.

Mr. Haruna maintained that the entire leadership of the Gonjaland Youth Association was solidly behind the District Chief Executive and the Damangowura in whatever decision they take, to get the people evacuated and pave way for the road to continue.

He noted that the Fulfulso-Damango-Sawla road is a national asset and appealed to the people of Gonjaland to support the contractors and the government to finish the project, which he observed would open up the area and also enhance the economic activities of the people.

When completed, the Fulfulso-Damango-Sawla will reduce travel time and cost, improve food transportation to the market centres, improve accessibility to the major tourism sites in the area, including the Mole National Park, the Larebanga Mystic Stone and the ancient Mosque at Larebanga, among others.