REVOLT LOOMS IN KROBO AREA OVER BAD ROAD

A communal outburst may rock the Krobo area particularly the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the next couple of days if immediate action is not taken by the Ghana Highway Authority to repair the deplorable road network in the area particularly a broken culvert over the Odaw River near the Agormanya Filling Station on the main Kpong–Odumase road.

The culvert, part of which broke down last week after a heavy downpour, has virtually divided the main towns in the municipality into two, hampering business activities at Agormanya which hosts one of the major markets in the Eastern Region.

Following the collapse, youth in the area spontaneously massed up and mounted road blocks forcing drivers to take a detour through Agormanya-Ablotsi, an exterior part of the town, creating heavy vehicular traffic and lots of other inconveniences in the town.

The growing menace of child labour on the market also appeared to have received a boast with the collapse of the culvert as minors in the area continue to evade classes to take advantage of the impaired access to the market to cart goods across for a fee.

The roads in the area, particularly the Kpong-Somanya and Odumase-Asesewa routes, are ridden with gaping potholes and this has widely been attributed to the activities of the heavy duty tipper trucks carting limestone from Odugblase in the Krobo area to Tema to feed the Ghana Cement Company.

Some drivers interviewed indicated that the phenomenon was causing a gradual decrease in the number of vehicles that ply the Odumase-Asesewa, Sekesua and Akateng (major foodstuff growing areas) route, forcing a hike in fares and compelling the drivers to overload their cars both with human beings and food stuffs.

They indicated that they were contemplating using the Somanya-Nkurakan (Koforidua) road which would cause a corresponding rise in fares, adding “at the moment, it has become dangerous driving on the road because drivers use any available side of the road in their attempt to swerve the potholes without sticking to their lane, and this has been the cause of the successive crashes on the road”.

Reliable sources indicated that Kloma Gbi, a Krobo Youth & Advocay group together with the local branches of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union is scheming to stage a sit-down strike / street protest in the next couple of days. A letter to that effect dated September 8, 2012 notifying the Akuse District Police Command was sighted by this reporter.

In an interview with the Konor (Paramount Chief) of the Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nene Sakite II indicated that the repair of the road in the area was long overdue, having personally prompted the relevant officials of the effect on business, transportation and the lives of the indigenes on numerous occasions including the presidency without any positive response. He could not rule out a revolt by the youth, which he has been watering down all this while.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Isaac Agbo Tetteh however said, his outfit has notified the authorities who are fast taking measures to repair the broken culvert.