Akyem Ofoase (E/R), June 5, GNA - A request by the chiefs of the

Akyemmansa District in the Eastern Region for an urgent repair to be carried on roads in the District, was given credence when officials returning from a People's Assembly in the area got stuck on a feeder road for more than thirty minutes.

This happened barely an hour after an appeal had been made to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, to facilitate the reconstruction of road networks in the area because of their deplorable state was impairing the development of the newly created district. Several chiefs had pleaded with the government to scale-up the development of the area especially with regards to road construction during the maiden People's Assembly held at the District capital, Akyem Ofoase, on Wednesday.

As the Minister and his entourage left the town for New Abirem where another such event was to take place, they were held up for more than 30 minutes on the Ayirebi-Ofoase-New Abirem road, because a timber truck had stuck on clayey hill making it impossible for vehicular movement on other side of the road.

A bulldozer had to be brought in to tow the timber truck before the Minister's entourage and other road patrons could gain access. Before this occurrence, the entourage's dispatch rider's bike had to be placed at the back of a pick-up because the terrain of the road was putting its rider in danger.

The area people who helped to tow the timber truck upon seeing press men pleaded with them to make their predicament known to government as they have suffered that hardship for so long. Earlier, Nana Dubi Nti, Chief of Akyem Ofoase and Obrempong Gyapire Agyekum, Chief of Ayirebi commended President Kufour for the creation of the District but also reiterated the call to construct the roads. They contended that timber trucks plying the area were worsening the already deplorable state of the road and that upgrading those roads to a major network could help boost the development of the area. In response, the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr David Oppon Kusi, explained that the Ayirebi-Ofoase road is the last part of a major road improvement programme started by the government to link Nkawkaw to Akyem Oda and efforts were being made to raise the requisite resources to construct it.