E/R: Akuse residents demand action on deplorable road

Residents of Akuse in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region have staged a peaceful demonstration to demand urgent government intervention to fix the deplorable Akuse-Amedeka-Asutsuare road.

The demonstration, dubbed the “Akuse Bunyuku (Dust) Demonstration,” brought together farmers, commercial drivers, fisherfolk, youth and other residents who said the condition of the road was affecting economic activities and livelihoods.

The protesters said the road had become riddled with potholes, erosion and poor drainage, making transportation difficult and increasing the cost of moving farm produce to market centres.

The demonstrators presented a petition addressed to President John Dramani Mahama.

According to them, copies have also been to the Deputy Minister for the Interior and Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, the Eastern and Greater Accra Regional Ministers, the Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku, and the District and Municipal Chief Executives for Shai-Osudoku and Lower Manya Krobo.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Raymond Vorledzi, a community advocate, said the demonstration was intended to draw the government's attention to the challenges facing residents and the economic importance of the Akuse-Amedeka-Asutsuare enclave.

He stated that the area hosted major agricultural and aquaculture activities, including commercial banana plantations, rice farms and tilapia production, which provided employment and contributed to the national economy.

Mr Vorledzi noted that the poor road network had resulted in frequent vehicle breakdowns, high transportation costs and delays in moving farm produce to market centres.

He appealed to the government to direct the Ministry of Roads and Highways to award the road on contract and commence construction without delay.

“Fixing these roads is not a cost but an investment that will expand agriculture and create several jobs for Ghanaians,” he said.

Mr Nana Kofi Aboagye, a former Assembly Member for the Salom Electoral Area, indicated that the road was first constructed in 1992 under the administration of former President Jerry John Rawlings but had since deteriorated significantly.

He expressed concern about what he described as inadequate attention to the road by successive governments and criticised the area’s Member of Parliament for not doing enough to raise the issue.

“Okletey Terlabi is a failure and has failed to speak on the roads issue in Akuse, and as law-abiding citizens, we know it is our right to protest, and that is why we are here today to register our displeasure with the President,” he said.

The residents also expressed frustration over the absence of visible construction activity following a sod-cutting ceremony for road works in the area led by Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey about a month ago.

They appealed to the government to ensure that construction commenced without further delay, saying the deteriorating road continued to impose hardships on residents, farmers and businesses operating in the area.

GNA