Suspend the construction of drains in disputed area - Unit Committee

Kumasi, March 31, GNA - The Kropo Unit Committee in the Bohyen Electoral area in Kumasi has called on the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to suspend the construction of drains on the disputed portion of the Kropo main road. The Committee also demanded that the Survey Department should be brought into the matter to determine the extent of encroachment on the road and demolish two structures that had had been built on portions of the road.

In a petition to the Regional Minister and the Department of Urban Roads, the Unit Committee said it did not want wilful financial loss to be caused to the state and therefore asked that the right thing should be done once and for all. "There is a controversy between the chiefs, landlords, residents and unit committee of Kropo and the Department of Urban Roads over the demolition of two structures on the Kropo main road under construction," he said.

While the people and the unit committee were calling for the demolition of the structures - a school and a living quarters, to straighten the road, the Department of Urban Roads claimed that the road could be constructed without demolishing the structures. According to the Unit Committee, even though the KMA had marked the structures, particularly the Saint George's International School, which alone had encroached upon 9.4 metres of the 19.4 metres main road for demolition the Department of Urban Roads was reluctant to do so. The committee said it found the observation by Urban Roads that the encroachment would not affect the construction of drains unacceptable and vehemently refuted the statement.

It also rejected the claim by the Urban Roads Department that demolishing the wall of the school would pose danger to the pupils and said the school was built with wood and without a wall as a temporary structure and that the school could erect a wall on the approved boundaries if the portion, which had encroached on the road was demolished. "Much as we need the drains, we would not rush for their construction but patiently wait for an efficient cost effective project, because drains are made for road construction and once the concrete is set, it would be in place for life," the Committee added.