Abrogate Asabea Engineer's Contract On Prestea-Samereboi Road—Group To Gov't

The leadership of Prestea Communicators for Development (PCD) have appealed to government and CEO of Cocoa Board, Mr. Joseph Boahene Aidoo to with immediate effect abrogate its contract with 'incompetent' Asabea Engineering and construction Ltd, and re-award the contract to a competent contractor to serve the people of Western Region.

According to Ina-Thalia Quansah, Joynews Western Region Correspondent, “Western Region has been Ghana’s leaderleader in cocoa producer since 1984.

However, roads leading to the cocoa farms could be described as hell.

Recently, the Cocoa Board CEO, Mr. Joseph Boahene Aidoo stated “Government (under Mahama) awarded GHc 5.16 billion road contract when it had budgeted for only GHc 1.64 billion”, hence Cocoa Board has commenced review of all contracts.

In the Green Book of Mr. Mahama (2015), Prestea to Samereboi road was awarded on contract, and on 28th July, 2015, the former MP, Mr. Francis Blay of Prestea Huni-Valley disclosed to GNA/GhanaWeb that, “works on Prestea-Post Office to Mumuni-Samereboi has commenced”, and the contractor, Mr. Samuel Ofori Larbi of Asabea Engineering and Construction stated 40% of work on first phase has been completed.

However, the Prestea Communicators want the review by the Cocoa Board, pay Asabea of whatever work done, then abrogate the contract and re-award it to a competent contractor on the following reasons:

1. Asabea Contractor, (whom we don’t know whether he is the Director of Ghana Highways in Western Region) has been on Prestea-Bogoso roads since 2013, without executing any good work.

2. The Asphalt that Asabea Construction did from Prestea- Himan and part of Himan Prestea town in 2016( which the conractor, Mr. Ofori Larbi said it was historic, that he has been the first person to send asphalt to Himan) were all washed away in 2017 rainy season, and just last week, the Divional Chief of Himan-Prestea, Nana Nteboah Prah IV organised Communal Labour on that stretch of road.

3. The Chiefs and people of Tarkwa have demonstrated on two occasions over Tarkwa Ahweteaso road, all due to his lackadaisical attitude to work which has dominated every contract he has taken.

4. His works in Prestea-Mumuni Road is shoddy, with cultverts he did cracking without any pressure.

They opined that "We are aware, the CEO of Asabe Construction has “blamed his inability to execute good work on spiritual forces, as he blamed “spiritual attacks for delay of his contract on Fijai-Effia Nkwanta Road (Jan 8,2019: Source:Kwesi Coomson), we feel it is not any witches disturbing him, but his own shoddy work and low technical know-how that has worked against him in the very many contract he has been granted?"

They concluded that "We are once again appealing to government to abrogate the contract and give it to a good contractor. If President Akuffo Addo fails to do this, the disgrace that met President Mahama in Prestea, which made him come to Prestea at 12am midnight because of the disgrace of journalist capturing the road will likely repeat itself."