Be wary of NPP …Kamel tells Volta chiefs

By:  Samuel Agbewode, Nkwanta

The Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Ford Kamel has asked the chiefs and people of the region to be mindful of opposition personalities who are trying to create the impression that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is only interested in their votes and cares less about issues concerning development of the region.

According to him, there are deliberate attempts by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in recent times to discredit the activities of the government, particularly in relation to the construction of the eastern corridor road project.

Mr. Kamel noted that the construction of the road is on course and that nothing would distract government’s attention from embarking on such vital projects.

The Regional Minister, who said this when he addressed a meeting of chiefs in the Nkwanta District at Nkwanta recently pointed out that the government had identified the economic potentials that the entire nation would derive in constructing the eastern corridor road project, which is why it would do everything possible to construct the road to boost socio economic activities of Ghanaians.

Mr. Kamel dismissed statements being made by some NPP members that the government had no money to construct the road. According to him, the NPP did not see the importance of the eastern corridor roads, hence their refusal to construct it when they were in power for eight years.

He continued that when completed, travelling time from the north to the south through the eastern corridor road would be reduced by seven hours, as compared to those who travelled from the north through the Kumasi to Accra road.

He added that the government had already paid between GH¢ 10,000 and GH¢ 20,000 to individuals whose property would be destroyed during the construction of the road.

The Minister, who later inspected progress of work on the 50 kilometer Nkwanta-Kpassa- Oti-Damanko section of the eastern corridor road, expressed satisfaction about the level of work and urged the China Jiangxi Corporation, a Chinese construction company working on that section of the road to speed up work.

Mr. Kamel assured Ghanaians that government was in control of the development activities of the nation and that they should not be deceived by anybody. He also urged the chiefs to work hard to maintain the existing peace in their respective areas before, during and after the December general election, and also vote massively for the NDC to retain power in order to continue with its development projects.

The Chief of Challa, Nana Kenewu Addo Cheddere II noted that the chiefs of Nkwanta were not happy about the ongoing constructional work on the Nkwanta-Kpassa-Oti-Damanko section of the eastern corridor road as the Dodo Pepesu–Brewoaniase-Nkwanta section of the road had been left without any form of construction going on there.

Nana Kenewu Addo Cheddere stressed that the chiefs and people in the area were getting worried about the poor nature of the road because the NPP government tarred portions of the road from Jejensu to Dodo Pepesu, explaining that the majority of the people in the Nkwanta area normally vote for the NDC, but it looks as if the ruling government has rather neglects them when voted into power.

He further stated that the visit and explanation from the Regional Minister had given them more hope that their concerns would be addressed, adding that the people in the area would continue to support the ruling NDC to enable it win the December general elections with the hope that the road would be constructed.

The chief, however, asked the government to stop what he called “the promise and fail tactics and put their promises into action”.

The Project Engineer of the Eastern Corridor Road of the Ghana Highways Authority, Mr. Kwadwo Aboagye explained that the construction of the road was packaged into seven lots, based on the current condition of the road; namely Tema roundabout-Kpong-Atimpoku-Asikuma junction which is 91.0 kilometers as lot 1, Asikuma junction-Hohoe-Jasikan-Poase Cement, a 147 kilometer road as lot 2.

The rest are Poase-Cement-Dodo Pepesu-Nkwanta, a 78.2 kilometer as lot 3, Nkwanta-Oti Damanko, 70.0 kilometer as lot 4, Oti Damanko-Bimbilla-Yendi, 86.0 kilometer as lot 5, Yendi-Gushiegu-Nakpanduri, 123.2 kilometers as lot 6 and Nakpaduri-Bawku-Kulungugu, 100 kilometers lot 7.

Mr. Aboagye explained that the reason why the Dodo Pepesu–Nkwanta section of the eastern corridor road was left out for the mean time was that the money for the construction of that portion of the road was a grant from the European Union (EU), but the EU was repackaging the project for work to start, noting that once the money was a grant there was no need to be in a hurry to start the project.

 

 

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