What sin has the people of Sunyani committed to deserve these bad roads and underdevelopment. Most of the road network in the Bono Region is just too bad and will only predispose the citizens to seasonal diseases such as upper respiratory tract infection, cold, and asthmatic attack for those who are known asthmatic patients. In this write up, I will be focusing on the NEW DORMAA - YAWHIMA road in the Bono Region of Ghana.
This road has being under construction for not less than 12 years. It is only God who knows how many times sods have been cut for this road to be constructed. In September 14th, 2020, the road minister Mr. Kwasi Amoako - Atta in his address with the media indicated that the Bono Region is receiving it's fair share of government's implementation of the year of road. The minister indicated that the Bono Region is receiving the execution of 48 road projects under the ministry of roads and highways. The minister added that the asphalt overlay of the New Dormaa- Yawhima road was on the agenda. It is over 12 months now( above 1 year) when this speeches were made. The president also came to inspect the same road somewhere in October before the 2020 election. The contractor on the road had gone on vacation for time that only God knows; the day before the arrival of the president , at night the contractor brought all his machines on the road and work began, it is over a year now and the road is still not asphalted.
When it rains, the road becomes muddy, as the harmattan season approaches, the citizens of Ghana from Yawhima, Kotokrom, New- Dormaa can not dress in white shirt to town. Most cars do not go to Kotokrom and Yawhima because of the bad nature of the road. On Monday 15th November, 2021 as at 7:45 Am, this bad road was flood with 51 people by my count from Kotokrom to New - Dormaa who were standing waiting for car in order to catch up with business. School children, and government workers, traders have to always struggle in order to get car to town and back to their homes. On few ocassion the will be watered in the morning, but in most cases the dust has taken over the road and sometimes drivers have to struggle to see the next car ahead of them. This can not be right in this country. We pay tax and drivers pay road toll, why can we not complete this road that has lingered for 12 years plus. This is the major road in the Bono Region; cars going to Techiman, Nkoranza, Wenchi, Chira, Tamale, Kintampo, and Burkina Faso all use this road. Why will the government not see the completion of this road as a priority, give pressure to whichever contractor that has been awarded the country to complete the road? Over 45 people have been knocked down on this single road that is supposed to be a dual carriage road. We are fearless but we can not be careless, this road must be fixed, enough of the blood shed on these roads.
As we are approaching the harmattan season, we are going to have the interplay of fog and mist in conjunction with dust, will it be surprising if we record accident cases? Let us rise up now and fix this road. Enough is enough. I challenge the regional ministers to drive on the road in the morning from 7- Am and in the evening and see for herself the struggle the citizens are going through. The Municipal Chief executive is also called upon rise and make sure we get the contractor to compete this road. This is situation is turning Sunyani into a village, you need to always carry mirror in order to measure the amount of dust in your hair, where you do not have mirror, you can measure the dust in your hair by what you see in your neighbour's hair. We can not accept this as our lot after paying tax and drivers paying road tolls. The police are checking for road Worthy, they must start looking for car worthiness; the road is not worthy of the cars that are ploughing it.
Transport is a major driver in economic growth and development. Road is needed to enhance transportation of goods and services.
Can you imagine the productive hours lost to this country because citizens have to wait for long hours before getting cars to work and businesses, we must fix the road in order to improve upon transportation thereby enhancing productivity in this country. Mr. President, Sunyani deserve more than this, the Member of Parliament must rise to the occasion and demand that this road is fixed.
The dignity and decent life that the people of this enclave must enjoy is being undermined.
I think we have prayed enough, waited enough, kept quiet enough, it is time to demand accountability from duty bearers.
Why can central government not invest road tolls into building of roads in Ghana?
When you get to New - Dormaa, I always pity those who sell by the road side; we can keep quiet over this, dusty road contributes to bad health. Those who are known asthmatics must relocate from these areas, more people are going to fall sick, come to the hospital and still expend the little premium paid to health insurance, then we will spend money to import drugs and ask health workers to embark upon needless campaigns which could have been prevented anyway.
Enough of the politics, just fix the road, think about the health of the people in these areas, we have lost enough lives to the roads already.
The answers does not lie in prayer, it lies in having an action plan and ensuring that we follow the plan.
Hon. Regional Minister, Hon. MCE, follow up and see the dust for yourselves, at least making sure the road is watered two times can be an interim measure to save lives and preserve the dignity the citizens of this area.
Posterity will not forgive successive leaders who have failed to ensure lives are preserved.
Bono & Ahafo have been denied of decent road for longer time, the time to speak up and demand better roads is now.
Let us learn to separate politics from development.
No propaganda on my wall, purely developemental issues.
I charge all citizens of Sunyani to demand that this road is fixed, especially those in New - Dormaa Kotokrom.
Good Governance demands accountability, we are all called upon to ensure the development of this country, when you see something, say something.
To be Continued....
Good Morning Ghana
Rev. Jefferson Kwasi Agbotro
CEO, FOHA
MSC OD
PUBLISHED ON