Relief and excitement swept through Jomoro on Friday, as the Member of Parliament for the area and Deputy Minister for Transport, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, handed over the long-abandoned Samenye Barrier to Half Assini to New Town road to Kingspok Company Limited for reconstruction.

The over 50-kilometre stretch, which serves as the economic lifeline linking the Jomoro Municipal capital to Elubo and the Ivory Coast border, has for years been riddled with deep potholes and muddy trenches, crippling the movement of people, farm produce and goods.

For traders, drivers and farmers, the deplorable nature of the road had become a daily nightmare, inflating transport fares and cutting off communities during the rainy season.

Engineers of Kingspok Company Limited, who were introduced to the chiefs and people at a short ceremony at their campsite at New Nzulezo, have pledged to deliver a first-class road within 24 months.

Addressing the gathering, Affo-Toffey could not hide her joy. She expressed profound gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Roads and Highways for listening to the cries of the people and finally giving attention to the road.

"We have been crying over this road for quite too long but today we have received good news and we have handed over the construction works to Kingspok Company Limited," she stated.

"Today is an exciting day and a day all of us have been waiting for," she added.

The Deputy Transport Minister took the opportunity to call on the people of Jomoro to pray and rally behind President Mahama to deliver on his promises.

She noted that road construction remained one of the top priorities of President Mahama's administration and assured residents that the President was fully committed to reconstructing all deplorable roads in Jomoro.

She further charged residents to give maximum cooperation to the contractor to ensure the project was completed on time.

"We are not here to deceive Jomoro people, President John Dramani Mahama is committed to doing the road," she assured.

On his part, the General Manager of Kingspok Company Limited assured the chiefs and people of Jomoro that the company would complete the road within two years and called on the community to support them to deliver on schedule.

The Paramount Chief of Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III, on behalf of the Traditional Council, expressed profound gratitude to Affo-Toffey for her persistent lobbying that led to the road being taken up by the President.

He said he was optimistic that the contractor would deliver quality work on the Samenye Barrier to Half Assini stretch and called on the people to provide maximum support to facilitate the work.

In a humorous but firm caution that drew laughter from the crowd, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III advised the workers to exhibit good morals while in the community and not impregnate young women in the area and abandon them.