The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta has charged the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO), of the Ghana Highway Authority, (GHA), Nicholas D. Brown and his men to work around the clock to fix a portion of the road between Dimanjan Number 1 and Pina as a matter of urgency.
That section of the road which is on the Tumu-Navrongo stretch which links Upper West to the Upper East Region was damaged on September 18, when a dam close-by overflowed.
Mr. Amoako-Atta gave the directive when he visited the area to assess the situation. GBC’s Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo reports that the Roads and Highways Minister who was there with his deputy, Anthony Karbo described the situation as national problem.
Mr. Amoako-Atta made a pledge: “We are going to support you with all the resources available to us both human and material resources, monetary resources, wherever we have to mobilize these resources, we are going to do that, because this is an emergency situation, any emergency situation requires, emergency solution.”
The Minister reassured the people, saying:, “I have come to see it myself and if I go back, Im going to make sure we mobilize all resources available to enable you resolve this matter”.
Mr. Amoako-Atta announced that the current government inherited 12 billion Ghana Cedis as an outstanding balance due to contractors, saying the indebtedness is growing. He added that in two weeks time, there will be a major payment to contractors.
The Regional Director of Ghana Highway Authority, Thomas Kofi Oppong briefed Mr. Amoako-Atta about the corrective measures to be put in place to create passage. He said: “So far we are planning to have temporary culvert some metres away from here and then we will release some water to go, after that we will fill this place and then continue with the culvert. In the medium to long term measure, the contractor will be made to come and do whatever has been designed.”
Mr. Oppong said his outfit will collaborate with the contractor, Mawums Limited on how to solve the problem on hand.
The Deputy Upper was Regional Minister, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku was very thankful to Mr. Amoako Atta and his team for coming to get first hand information on the ground.
He stated that for the past four days, the people of Upper West and Upper East Regions and other road users have to go through a lot of hassle because there is no alternative route linking the two regions.
An Inspector of Metro Mass Transit, Charles Atiah spoke about how they were going round the challenge of not having passage by resorting what he termed swapping of passengers.
Because of the bad nature of the road, we decided that we will come to this end [Wa] and they will also come from Bolga and will do a swapping. So our passengers will go to their bus and go to Bolga and then their passengers will also come here, and those who are going to Wa, we will send them to Wa, Mr. Atiah observed.
Story by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
