NPP, NDC have failed 'Voltarians' on road projects - Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy

The Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo risks incurring the wrath of the chiefs and people of Mepe, Fordzoku, Battor, Volo, Juapong, Dorfor Adidome and Torgorme traditional areas in the North Tongu District and the entire Volta Region if immediate action is not taken to address the challenge of abandoned road projects started by the erstwhile John Mahama administration, a non-partisan pressure group, Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy has warned.

The group is accusing the two major political parties, the NPP and NDC of playing party politics with road projects in the North-Tongu district, a development it insists has compounded extreme poverty among the people and culminating in some of the major problems facing the district which the MP for the area, Okudzeto Ablakwa, the NPP and NDC promised on several campaign platforms in 2016 to address but have done nothing about.

In a press release, Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy says though governments of former Presidents John Dramani Mahama and John Agyekum Kuffour cut sod for the construction of several road projects including Juapong – Abutia, Sokode-Gbogame to Juapong through Abutia and the 13 kilometer Sokode-Gbogame Bame road, nothing has been done about those projects.

Roads the group identifies as needing urgent attention are the Sokode – Kpeve feeder road, Ho – Aflao road, Sokode – Ho dual carriage road and University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) bypass joining the Ho – Aflao highway.

It accuses the former NDC administration of deceiving the electorate prior to the last general elections by bringing equipment ostensibly to undertake road projects in North-Tongu only for the said equipment to disappear after the elections.

“Investigations conducted by Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy (DGD) show that, most of the machines that were brought during the 2016 general elections have been sent back which indicates that the then administration only threw dust into the eyes of the people of North Tongu. They only wanted to win their votes after which they will neglect them. The project has come to standstill meanwhile this is the shortest route from Koforidua, Kumasi to Aflao. Where are the machines? The people are asking,” the statement queried.

The biggest concern to the group, perhaps, is the Eastern corridor road project which construction has stalled over the years.

Even though President Akuffo Addo during his visit to Hohoe in July 2018 promised to fix the road, Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy is unhappy that nothing much appears to be going on more than a year after this promise to the people, especially as it claims the road has become a death trap to motorists.



Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy is thus seeking for “immediate clarifications from the Member of Parliament for North-Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for north Tongu, Mr. Richard Collins Arku and the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Y. Letsa for immediate action on the said roads.

Read the full press release:

PRESS RELEASE ON ABANDONED ROAD PROJECTS IN THE VOLTA REGION BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY GOVERNMENT.

Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will incur the wrath of the chiefs and people in Mepe, Fordzoku, Battor, Volo, Juapong, Dorfor Adidome and Torgorme traditional areas in the North Tongu District and the entire Volta Region for what they described as abandoning of road projects started by the former President John Dramani Mahama’s administration if immediate action is not taken.

There are three access roads linking the various traditional areas in the District namely; Juapong – Abutia road, Juapong – Mafi Adidome road and Akuse – Battor road.

The former President John Dramani Mahama cut a sod for the construction of Juapong – Abutia road on 3rd May 2016. Meanwhile, Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy has also gathered that former president John Agyekum Kuffour’s government in partnership with the Japanese International Development Agency (JIDA) started funding the construction of the 55 kilometer road from Sokode-Gbogame to Juapong through Abutia and the 13 kilometer Sokode-Gbogame Bame road, which shortened the distance between Ho - Hohoe, Juapong-Adidome and Kpong-Aveyime.

It is crystal clear that two different findings have been made for the construction of the road in question but still it has not seen the light of day, why is it so? All the foodstuffs that are brought to Juapong, Ashaiman, Tema and Accra markets are mostly produced from these areas but are consequently expensive due to the bad nature of the road.

It has also created a lot of uncomfortable situations to the citizens as about thirty-five lives of innocent citizens are lost annually also, some people become disabled making families to lose their breadwinners, all because of the bad nature of this road. The ordeal of pupils and teachers cannot be left out as they find it difficult to move to and from school especially during the rainy season. This affects academic work in the District.

The residents are further raising a red flag over the shoddy work being executed by the contractor who is working on the ongoing 54.5km Mafi-Adidome to Juapong road which has started deteriorating haphazardly posing a threat to users of this road.

A recent visit by Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy (DGD) on a fact finding mission on the Mafi-Adidome to Juapong road indicate that a shoddy work is being carried out on the road by the constructing firm. It is clear that potholes have started developing on the road which is not yet complete.

The residents could not fathom why some portions of the Mafi-Adidome to Juapong road which is under construction should start deteriorating at that speed. The contractor has a lot of questions to answer.

Investigations conducted by Defenders of Ghana’s Democracy (DGD) show that, most of the machines that were brought during the 2016 general elections have been sent back which indicates that the then administration only threw dust into the eyes of the people of North Tongu.

They only wanted to win their votes after which they will neglect them. The project has come to standstill meanwhile this is the shortest route from Koforidua, Kumasi to Aflao.Where are the machines? The people are asking.
They need immediate clarifications from MP, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the current District Chief Executive (DCE) for north Tongu District, Mr. Richard Collins Arku, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Y. Letsa the JOSHOB construction firm which is undertaking the project the implementing agency (Ghana Highway Authority) and the supervising engineer.
The Akuse – Battor road is even seen as a political road.

Politicians only play political football with this road. They always promise users of this road during electioneering. Most often than not, they only do earthwork of the road during election times. Several promises have been made to the people but nothing has been done so far. Why should citizens be treated in this manner? Are they not Ghanaians?

Some of the holes developed on the road can be described as manhole, they even go beyond potholes.

Fuming with anger, they describe as failed and empty promises made by president Akufo-Addo and the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to fix the roads.

Consequently, the angry chiefs and people have hinted their preparation to stage what they described as red demonstration against president Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa against bad nature of roads in their area.

The residents threatened to boycott the upcoming 2020 elections should government fails to listen to their plight by fixing the various roads elaborated.

They are blaming the Akufo-Addo led NPP government for woefully denying the people of North Tongu District of their national cake. And that, according to them, they would force the chiefs and people in the district to stage a massive demonstration to protest against the poor state of the roads.

They vowed that if they do not see any improvement on their roads, then they will embark on a massive demonstration and will make sure they sustain it till the right things are done.

They fumed that the president is behaving as if the people of North Tongu District are not part of Ghana.

The group further asserted that the poorest nature of the said roads compound with extreme poverty have been some of the major problems facing the district to which Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, NPP and NDC on several campaign platforms in 2016 promised to address but have done nothing for the past three years.

We have been neglected, just empty promises that the road has been awarded and a contractor will commence work few weeks making “few weeks” a cliché on the lips of authorities involved, they said.

With a good road, they said a journey to the Juapong, Mafi-Adidome, Battor, Sogakope hospitals should last for few minutes however, and they spend more hours on the roads. They are therefore appealing to government of President Akufo-Addo to come to their rescue. They explained that their call for the construction of these roads will become the access good roads which will open up their communities to many different districts even to Togo which therefore will boost the economic and social activities of the area.

The residents reiterated that, they thought Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is coming to save them as their past MPs like Hon. Austin Gamedoagbao and Hon. Charles Sename Hodogbey failed them, saying that they have regretted having Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa as their incumbent MP and would show him and the NPP led government under president Akufo-Addo a lesson by not voting for them in the upcoming 2020 general elections.

Finally, the work of Defenders of Ghana Democracy is incomplete without touching the almighty Eastern corridor road that link the Northern part of Ghana extending to Burkina Faso. We would like to remind the President of his promises: “The roads throughout our country are in a poor shape. Today, I have come on the Eastern corridor road and could not sleep one inch. How can I sleep on this road and that is why I want to go out and see it for myself. Amoako (roads minister) has told you he is going to fix it and you will see that we have fixed it.”

This was the statement of the President on his welcome durbar in Hohoe on 11th July 2018. It has been more than a year now but nothing has been done to fix the road. The road has now become a death trap to motorists, as vehicles are involved in accidents every now and then killing innocent souls. Other roads that have to be tackled are Sokode – Kpeve feeder road, Ho – Aflao road, Sokode – Ho dual carriage road and University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) bypass joining the Ho – Aflao highway.

Mr. President our candid advice to you is that, something must be done to fix the roads in the Volta region immediately before the political campaign begins, if not so, winning the 2020 election will be a fiasco per our research.

Kingsley Tettey (Secretary)
Tel: 0243772497

Theophilus Duagbor (Chairman)
Tel: 0557704934

Romeo Appiah (Patron)
Tel: 02460555001

Robert Tetteyfio Adjase
Convener
Tel: 0244582458

Raymond Akaho
Research Officer
Tel: 0246362013