Akwatia to benefit from cocoa roads programme – Veep

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has announced that government has secured funding to rehabilitate the Akwatia roads as part of the Cocoa Roads Rehabilitation Programme.

He said the contract for the Akwatia roads rehabilitation would be awarded to a contractor by next month.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur gave the assurance when he joined the chiefs and people of Akwatia to celebrate their annual Denkyembour festival as well as the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the enstoolment of Osabarima Kofi Boateng as Akwatiahene.

The festival, which is on the theme: “Denkyembour-our heritage for the development of Akwatiaman” was to enable the people to take stock of the past, the progress they have made so far as well as chart a new path for the future development of Akwatia.

The government in December last year announced a 450-million-dollar package for the rehabilitation of roads in cocoa-growing areas in the country.

The amount to be released in three installments of 150 million dollars annually, would be used to finance selected roads in the Ashanti, Western, Eastern and Brong-Ahafo Regions, under the Cocoa Roads Rehabilitation Project being funded through the Ghana COCOBOD.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also stated that work would start very soon on the rehabilitation of the bridge linking Akwatia to Osino, and that; the metals for the project are already in Koforidua.

He therefore charged Mr Baaba Jamal, Member of Parliament for Akwatia to follow up on the project and ensure that the materials are brought to the project site.

He assured that the government would rehabilitate the Akwatia market, which he said, was on the hearts and minds of the people of Akwatia.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur further stated that there are a number development projects taking place in the Denkyembour district, especially the Akwatia water expansion project, which he said, would help solve the water problem in Akwatia and the surrounding communities.

He said as part of the initiative to build new secondary schools, the government has decided to build a community day senior high school at Takorase in the Denkyembour district.

He said despite financial challenges’ facing the nation the government is assessing its priorities to ensure that it is able to undertake its developmental agenda without any problem.

Osabarima Kofi Boateng, Akwatiahene called for unity among all the citizens of Akwatia to ensure the rapid development of the area.

He urged politicians not to use politics to divide the people since they are one people who are all interested in the transformation of the area.

He commended the government for revamping the Great Consolidated Diamond Ghana Limited, which he said, has gone a long way to provide jobs for the people in the area.

Osabarima Kofi Boateng said God has blessed Akwatia and surrounding communities with mineral wealth and that the people must eschew all forms of negative behaviours, including illegal mining, to ensure the speedy transformation of the area.

He commended the citizens Akwatia for supporting him for the past 20 years as the Akwatiahene.

Mr Baaba Jamal, Member of Parliament for Akwatia reiterated the call for unity among the people to enhance the development of the area.

He said the government would not discriminate in the provision of social amenities to the various communities.