Jomoro residents tell Akufo-Addo to fix Samenye, Half Assini bad roads before 2024

Correspondence from Western Region

Some residents of Jomoro in the Western region have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reconstruct the Samenye barrier to Half Assini road before 2024.

The stretch, which serves as a link between Ghana and Ivory Coast has turned into a death trap for passengers.

Before election 2020, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cut sod for the reconstruction of the road yet, no works have been carried out.

However, a billboard at Samenye barrier indicated that the road network was under construction.

In an exclusive interview with some residents, they expressed their disappointment over the Akufo-Addo-led government for abandoning the road project.

They complained bitterly that the road network was claiming lives and damaging vehicles and motorbikes.

"I recall in 2018, Nana Addo and Bawumia came to Jomoro and promised that the road would be reconstructed before their next visit but since then nothing has been happened on this road. Just recently, Vice President Bawumia passed here to Half Assini but because he used proper vehicle, he didn't feel the deplorable nature of the road, he didn't feel our suffering," one of the interviewees said.

"I'm an Okada rider but because of this bad road, my motorbike is destroying, anytime I pass on this road I have to send my motorbike for repairs and you can see the current state of my motorbike", an angry Okada rider stated.

He said they would not forgive the government if they wait till 2024 elections before trying to reconstruct the road.

"We don't want the government to wait till by-election before as they did in Kumawu and if they wait till 2024 we will not vote in Jomoro. We need the road now, they should reconstruct our road for us now", he said.

"We have Ghana Gas Company here in Nzema but we are not benefitting from it, we only feel the heat the plant produces so we are appealing to the government come and help us because the best comes from West and Nzemaland", he urged.

Another resident stated, "one of our major challenges in Jomoro is our road network from Samenye barrier to Half Assini. This very road was first constructed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Rawlings later came to tare it and since then the road has not seen any major facelift".

"We have been crying for help from the government, MCE and the MP but we have not seen any help. We will appeal to the government to do something about it and if they start they should not stop it

Currently Ghana Gas Company is situated in Nzema here and like by now all roads should have been constructed but that is not the case we see here. We don't want to do any demonstration so they should resume works on the road immediately", he emphasized.