Deputy Minister inspects steel bridge project on Tano River

Mrs Freda Prempeh, the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has inspected work on the construction of a major steel bridge on the Tano River at Baffokrom in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.

Mrs Prempeh, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tano North was impressed with the progress of work on the project which was awarded on contract around December last year.

It is being constructed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) has gathered that former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government constructed the old wooden bridge in 2001, and since then no rehabilitation work was done on it.

In view of that, the more than 7,000 settlers in farming communities such as Mankranho, Kootwi, Sukuumu, Adu Kwasi and Krofrom were always cut off from each other in the rainy season.

They told the GNA it was difficult for them, particularly school children and women to cross the river because of the deplorable state of the old bridge.

“The old bridge was a death trap. Nobody could cross the river, especially during rainy seasons. School children could also not go to school because any attempt you make you will die”, Nana Gyan Baffo II, the Chief of Baffokrom stated.

He commended Mrs Prempeh for her support towards the reconstruction of the bridge and expressed appreciation of the people to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government.

Nana Baffo II appealed to the MP to provide the Baffokrom local M/A Primary School with computers and teachers’ quarters (residential accommodation). The Chief assured their readiness to support the government to achieve its vision for the nation.

Mrs. Margret Osei, a farmer could not hide her joy and praised the MP for helping to alleviate the plight of women in the area.

She observed the school feeding programme had relieved parents and guardians of huge economic burden and thanked the MP for that.

Mrs Prempeh told the residents that the best appreciation they could demonstrate to President Akufo-Addo was to vote in the December polls to retain his government in power.

The MP assured of remarkable improvement in their lives, if they vote to give the government an additional four years.