We don’t have expertise to construct speed ramps-GHA

From William N-lanjerborr Jalulah,

Navrongo

RESIDENTS OF Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana East District of the Upper East Region have given the government a four-week ultimatum to either provide speed ramps  along the Bolgatanga-Navrongo-Paga Highway or they do so themselves to avert the killings of pedestrians in the township.

Residents say since the construction of the Bolgatanga-Navrongo-Paga highway in the late nineties, many lives have been lost, due largely to over speeding. Data from the Navrongo Health Research Centre, the District Health Management Team and the Navrongo District Police office indicate that accident mortality in the town rank among three top causes of death in the district.

Unfortunately, the Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, is helpless in the situation. The Upper East Regional offices of the Ghana Highway Authority is claiming that they don’t have expertise to construct speed ramps in the town and that they have to import one from their head office in Accra

Last Friday, September 28, 2012, hundreds of residents of Navrongo poured onto the main road to protest against the killings.

Commercial, private and other government vehicles which were plying the road at the time could not have access and had to park for a short while until the barricade which was mounted by the demonstrators was cleared. Some school children who were also returning from school were not allowed passage.

Addressing reporters later, the Assemblyman for the Balobia Electoral Area, Mr. Kansake Daniel, described as “criminal negligence” on the part of political leaders in the region to continue to allow on daily basis the killing and maiming of productive citizens.

He lamented that, both past and present governments have refused to listen to the cry of the people to have these speed ramps constructed   to help reduce the rate of accidents which have claimed many lives.

He mentioned the names of some of the people who lost their lives in recent times as Anongo Anao, an old lady from Punyoro, Iddrisu Achor, former chief of Dakolo in Burkina Faso, Nagia Cletus, first cousin of the regional minister, Philip Aben, a carpenter at Navrongo Senior High School, and Blaise Zezinga, a young graduate teacher from Nayagenia.

According to Mr. Kansake, records from the assembly’s minutes indicated that in 2007, the house agreed to construct speed ramps but that was not done till date. As a result, the issue keeps dominating during every assembly’s meeting but only lip services are paid to it.

The assemblyman said their civil engagements with all concerned political leaders and institutions have been largely ignored. Mr. Kansake admonished all users of the road especially motorists to take personal responsibility for their lives by being extra vigilant during this political campaign season.

In a telephone interview with the Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo on actions taken so far, he said two years ago, work on Pwalugu-Paga road was awarded to a contractor who was supposed to make provision for speed ramps but the contract was not executed resulting in its abrogation.

According to him, upon the abrogation of the contract, the residents petitioned him over the issue, and he in turn referred it to the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Emmanuel Andema, who also informed the Highways Authority.

Woyongo further told The Chronicle that just last week, he invited the Regional Director of the Ghana Highways Authority to find out why it has taken such a long a time for his outfit to supervise the construction of the ramps.

According to him, the director’s response was that, he needed to get the technical people from Accra to come and advice on how the job should be executed. He nevertheless asked the director to meet with the District Coordinator for Navrongo so that the assembly would provide the needed resources and materials while the highways department provides technical expertise for work to begin soon.

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