Bad Roads: Afram Plains Youth Mobilise To Work On Bridge Project Abandoned By Government

• The Afram Plains North MP Betty Krosbi Mensah has mobilised her constituents to work on a bad road
• The residents raised funds to work on an abandoned bridge project in the Afram Plains district
• A resident spoke to YEN.com.gh about the journey to complete the abandoned road project

Residents in the Afram Plains North district who were tired of waiting on the government took matters into their own hands by starting work on an abandoned road project.

After being mobilised by the area’s MP, Betty Krosbi Mensah, the residents may have saved lives by working on a bridge to temporarily address the badly eroded road.

This intervention by the residents has so far cost GH¢230,000 according to a representative from the Donkorkrom palace in the district, Nana Asiamah, who spoke to YEN.com.gh.

Asiamah noted that the state had been slow to address this infrastructure concern in the district.

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However, he believes delays from the central government should not be an excuse for certain infrastructure challenges to persist.

“The highways authority promised to come and fix the bridge for us but up to date, they haven’t come in yet.”

“We should all sit up and think of our community as to how best we can all come together and fix some small challenges in the community rather than waiting for the government in power,” Asiamah said.

The youth in the community who worked on the bridge were doing so on a volunteer basis.

The local government and the Member of Parliament of the area supported the project with about 30 percent of the budget.

Other donations came from indigenes of the area and local businesses, among others.

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But even with all the money donated, Asiamah said more monetary support was required.

“We run over cost by GH¢70,000 which is a debt to pay. As I am speaking with you, we are looking up to the MP to payment,” he noted.

In comments to YEN.com.gh on the project, Mensah was praised for her constituents and their volunteer work to address that challenge.

She noted that the project was abandoned for more than four years and was considered a “death trap.”

"It is a great story, especially with the youth of Afram Plains getting involved… I think the youth of Afram Plains need commendation, and we need to applaud and appreciate them,” the MP said.

Status of Ghana roads

Commenting on some road projects earlier, roads minister KwasiAmoako-Attah said the progress of work on the Makango-Salaga road to date was 25 per cent.

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YEN.com.gh reported that this statement was made in response to a question posed by the NDC MP for Salaga South, Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah, last year.

The Salaga MP wanted to know when the Makango-Salaga and other roads under construction in her area would be completed.

Amoako-Atta also said the Makango-Salaga road was being constructed under the "Rehabilitation of Tamale-Salaga-Makango" contract, which was 52 kilometres long.

He said the project commenced on January 21, 2021, and was expected to be completed by January 20, 2023.

On the Abromase-Akamade, Abromase-Kigbatito, Steel Bridge-Sarikingonakura, Abromase-Kijawu Battor, Salaga-Dagoubia and Takpu-Silmunchu feeder roads within the Salaga and Akamade enclave in the East Gonja Municipality in the Savannah Region, Amoako-Attah said some of the roads were partially engineered while others were in poor surface conditions.

Despite the year of roads, the minister said there was currently no programme on any of the above-mentioned roads.

Source: YEN.com.gh