K`dua Golden Jubilee Park left to rot

…as residents cry foul over shoddy work

Barley three years ago, the entire country was brought to a halt, when Ghanaians at home and the Diaspora celebrated the country's golden jubilee celebration.

The celebration, which many Ghanaians old and young considered worthy after 50 years of independence from the colonial masters, compelled the government to release thousands of Ghana cedis for the construction of what were dubbed “Golden Jubilee Parks” across the ten regions of the country, of which Koforidua, the capital of Eastern Region, was no exception.

Just after the celebration, the expectations of residents in the capital were that the authorities of New Juaben Municipal Assembly and Regional Coordinating Council, which have administrative responsibilities, could use the alleged ¢5 billion park for other purposes to generate revenue towards the development of the area, but their expectations have hit a jolt.

The Eastern File visited the park, which is adjacent to the Headquarters of Eastern Regional Police Command at Galloway, last Sunday, and discovered massive shoddy work by the contractor, as the roofing, ceilings and lighting system were in a very bad state.

The presidential dais, which could be described as a village kitchen, if anything of a sort exists, has now become the abode of lunatics, animals, and also a hideout for Indian hemp (wee) smokers.

The least one talks about the concrete tiles used for the floor, the better it would be, since most of them are missing, allowing weeds to grow among them.

The place, which the Eastern Police Command occasionally uses for passing out parades, becomes even worse when it rains, as it becomes water-logged.

This development has incurred the displeasure and anger of residents of the area, who are questioning the sense of duty and belongingness of the city authorities.

Their anger stems from the fact that the facility, which the poor tax payer's money was used to construct, has been left to the mercy of the weather, as city authorities look on with a lackadaisical attitude.

One disheartening situation uncovered by the File, was the roof of the Press Centre of the Park, which was ripped off about a month ago by a terrible rainstorm, but nobody seems to have seen it, let alone address the situation.

Could one say the state of the facility, as it stands, amounts to causing financial loss to the state, or lack of proper supervision on the part of city authorities during the construction of the Park, your answer is perfectly mine?