Communities demand termination of road contract

Foase (Ash), May 29, GNA - Fifteen communities in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District have jointly demanded an immediate termination of the contract of the company working on the Kwadaso-Foase-Nweneso road project for non-performance.

They contend that the contractor had given them cause to believe that it lacked the capacity, competence and seriousness to successfully undertake the job.

The communities are Twedie, Foase, Trabuom, Ohwimase, Nweneso Number One, Denkyemuoso, Boko, Nweneso Number Two, Techiman, Gyekye, Kyekyebon, Nweneso Number Three, Afrancho, Hwidiem and Nwamase. Nana Kwaku Tuffuor, Foasehene, who acted as spokesman for the communities said for the about one-and-a-half years that the contractor had been on the road, the percentage of work done, as he put it, "is as insignificant and scandalous as is outrageous."

"We cannot just simply afford the unreasonable delay and slow pace at which the construction company is doing things".

The Foasehene pointed out that the road was now in such a bad state that most commercial transport operators had refused to put their vehicles on it, thereby, slackening economic activities in the area. The difficulty in transporting maize, cassava, sugar cane and vegetables produced in large quantities to marketing centres had become a major disincentive.

He said, besides, the large number of workers who had re-located to the area in view of its proximity to Kumasi found it a nightmare getting to their various workplaces as they always stood in long queues for long hours due to the unavailability of adequate transport facilities.

Nana Tuffuor noted that the last time the road was rehabilitated was about 32 years ago, adding, "it is regrettable that it remains the only arterial road linking Kumasi that remains dusty and untarred". He said the people were also not enthused by the government's decision to put only 6.5-kilometre stretch of the road into good shape, insisting that, it was too short and must be extended in view of what he said was its economic viability.

The road links Kumasi with the Western Region through the Amansie West District.

Dr Osafo Ampadu, Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, confirmed that there had been a delay on the project. He, however, gave an assurance that there were other options and that if it were found that the work was being unduly delayed, it would be taken away from the contractor.