Manhean roads to be fixed before end of week - MCE assures residents

There is relief for Manhean residents as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) says the contractor will start work on dilapidated roads Tuesday.

Clement Wilkinson says he had interacted with the contractor and he has promised to put the road in good shape before the end of the week.

Although the absence of funds might prove a setback, he said the contractor is more than willing to help improve the worsening condition of roads in the municipality.

“The contractor did not stop the work but because we are owing here close to GHS70 million that is why she stopped the work.

“From tomorrow, she will put a grader on the road and close all the potholes to make it motorable by Friday for the residents to use in the interim until she gets the money to finish it by end of June,” he told Dzifa Bampoh on Joy FM's Newsnite Monday.

Residents of Manhean and its adjoining communities set lorry tyres ablaze and blocked roads linking the communities to the Central Business District.

The residents say their complaints about the poor state of their roads have not yielded any results. They say they have been compelled to resort to demonstrations to get their roads fixed.

There was a similar protest three years ago although the road was not as bad as it is now as the potholes have transformed into gullies now.

In October 2016, a contractor was on site to level and compressed for bitumen to be applied but as payment was dragging, work on the project came to an abrupt end.

Police PRO ASP Afia Tengey told Joy News they had information early Monday that there was an ongoing demonstration where the people were burning tyres.

She said they immediately moved in as some residents started calling them so they had to rush there to assist in protecting lives and property. The residents who called complained of not being able to go to work or send their children to school.

The PRO said the demonstration was illegal as the police were not informed.

According to her, things were under control as the leaders of the demonstrators were cooperative so the police were able to talk to them. They demonstrators fetched water from a nearby river to put out the fire after dialoguing with the police.

ASP Tengey said the police told the demonstrator to go through due process test and the police are ready to give them protection.

Some six people were, however, arrested for their role in the demonstration.

She said the police are still accessing the situation emphasising they don’t need to apply more force when they are using dialogue to ease the tension.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com