Correspondence from Ashanti Region

Years of severe infrastructural neglect along the Asamankama-Mehame road corridor in the Offinso South Municipality have left residents battling acute transportation difficulties and heightened vulnerability to violent armed robbery attacks.

The deteriorating condition of the unpaved stretch has not only cut off the adjoining communities from essential socio- economic services, but has also created daily safety hazards for schoolchildren, commercial drivers, and commuters navigating the area.

Speaking on the long plight of the community, the Assembly Member for the Asamankama- Mehame Electoral Area, Isaac Oduro Dangun Alaska, lamented that the terrible state of the road has crippled local commerce and turned the corridor into a hotspot for criminal elements who ambush commuters in the deep potholes.

Corroborating the assembly member's concerns, the Nifahene of Agyeimpra, Nana Poku Ware, expressed deep worry over the long-standing neglect, appealing for urgent state intervention to restore safety and dignity to the residents.

Amid the growing distress and pending permanent government intervention, the community has received a major lifeline through the benevolence of Mr Richard Agyare and his family who have deployed heavy grading machinery to reshape and level the entire deteriorated stretch.

Known very well in the area for such activities, the U.K based Ghanaian philanthropist's emergency intervention is providing immediate relief by making the road motorable, improving visibility, eliminating muddy ditches, and reducing the slow-moving vehicular traffic that robbers frequently exploit. He is doing this through an initiative called Agyare Foundation.

Detailing the foundation’s vision, the Project Coordinator for the Agyare Foundation, James Nkansah, popularly known as Principal, stated that the road intervention is part of a broader, sustained development drive by the Agyare family to improve living conditions across the Offinso South Municipality.

Nkansah emphasized that the foundation remains dedicated to identifying pressing community challenges and deploying private resources to complement government efforts in infrastructure, youth empowerment, and social welfare.

"The Agyare Foundation is deeply committed to the holistic development of Offinso South. This road reshaping is just one of several impactful initiatives we have rolled out. We will continue to stand by our communities and provide tangible support wherever the need arises."

The assembly member for the area, Hon Isaac Oduro Alaska, who sees this as a great sigh of relief to the community folks, thanked Agyare and his family for his continuous support for the good people of the area. Adding that, despite living in the U.K, Agyare has been very supportive to the very people in the Offinso South municipality and the other areas. He mentioned other needs of the community and expressed hopes that Agyare and others would provide support.

While expressing profound appreciation to Agyare for the timely intervention, traditional leaders and residents reiterated their appeal to the central government and the Ministry of Roads and Highways to award the road to a contractor for permanent asphalt surfacing and drainage construction.