ECOWAS Transport Terminal For Kintampo

As part of measures to decongest the Trans-Eco Highway which links Kintampo in Brong Ahafo Region to the Northern parts of the country and beyond, the Kintampo North District in collaboration with the government is to construct an ECOWAS Transport Terminal to keep heavily loaded trucks off the highway.

Authorities are yet to come out with drawings on the terminal and the project is expected to commence as soon as the drawings are ready barring any and administrative hitches.

Additionally, it is anticipated that the assembly would seek financial assistance from the Chief Executive Office of Antrak Air, Alhaji Asuma Banda to support the project if things go through.

Mr Razak Awudulai, District Chief Executive, said this yesterday when taking a group of journalists to inspect some on-going projects in the district.

The projects include a 912 million cedis lorry park, 495 million cedis Urban Council Office Complex, 1.245 billion cedis new Police Post, 766 million cedis tourist receptive facility and a 1.9 billion cedis hostel facility with capacity to accommodate 150 students for the Kintampo Rural Health Training School.

Mr Awudulai stated that the "landmark projects were to serve as a demonstration to the people that their taxes were being put to good use." He called on the Ministry of Transport and the Ghana Highway Authority to expedite action on the construction of drains along the Kintampo-Techiman road. He later presented a check for 20 million cedis to 10 physically challenged persons for the purchase of business tools to enhance their businesses.

The recipients include wood carvers, tailors, shoemakers and yam sellers. The DCE remarked that the allocation of one to five percent of the district assemblies common fund was designed for the benefit of physically challenged persons who were gainfully self-employed to support their businesses.

Mr Awudulai reiterated that the idea was to get as many as possible people with disabilities, who would otherwise beg for handouts off the streets as their presence was creating public nuisance, quite apart from denting the image of Kintampo and Ghana as a whole.

Mr Kwame Nkrumah, President Ghana Society of the physically challenged, Kintampo District, on behalf of his colleagues expressed thanks to the DCE for the honour done them and assured him that the money would be put to profitable use. He declared his total support for the administration of the DCE and prayed that other people with disabilities would be given assistance in the same way.

The occasion also witnessed the presentation of some quantities of books valued at 40 million cedis to the DCE for the Kintampo Senior School and its library.

Mr Sam Baffoe, a native of Kintampo and an American merchant who presented the books said it has always been his dream to help the town out of its predicament. He pledged to build a community library for Kintampo in memory of the lady who gave her the books.

The DCE thanked him for his generous contributions to the development of the area and promised that the books would be used for its intended purpose and urged others to emulate him.