Construction of the 2.9km town road in Hohoe in the Volta Region, has commenced in earnest after the Minister of Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini, visited the area last week.
A new contractor, First Sky, has been awarded the project, after the Minister, who disputed Citi News’ reports that the construction of Hohoe Town roads were not progressing as the President portrayed in his state of the nation address.
As early as 2:30am on Saturday, work was progressing steadily on the project.
One of the workers who spoke to Citi News, said they are expected to complete the work in two weeks.
President Dramani Maham during the State of the Nation Address, said the project was steadily progressing but checks by Citi News proved otherwise.
Citi News reported that the contractor Gohez, had abandoned the project and had long left the site.
[contextly_sidebar id=”VKZ5SP17j1VH5BX9fg7Iw9vNExQcmiga”]The sector Minister, subsequently threw a challenge to Citi News disputing the report hence the visit to the place.
But the Minister was met by angry residents who described as mischievous the obvious misrepresentation of the road situation presented to the President.
Residents commend Citi FM
Residents of Hohoe have commended Citi FM and its affiliate stations including Heritage FM, Lorlornyo FM and Sekpele FM, for bringing the issue to the fore for work to be fast-tracked.
They also demanded the dismissal of the engineers of feeder roads in the area for deceiving the Minister of Roads and the President on the state of the roads.
According to some of the residents, the President cannot be blamed for the deception since he made the statement based on reports he had received from his technical men on the ground.
The residents also called on government not to make the road project a nine day wonder, and also asked the Roads Minister to fulfill his promise to complete the 5km town roads and asphalting of 5km layout in the town before the general election in November.
“We will punish them at the polls if they throw dust into our eyes again this time, we are wide awake and watching their every move,” a young man at Gbi Kpeme, a suburb of Hohoe told Citi News.
Why Gohez abandoned the project
Gohez, the first contractor abandoned the Hohoe town raod project around 2011, after he constructed some of the drains.
It came out during the contractor’s interaction with the Minister, that government does not owe him any money in arrears for this particular work done.
According to Gohez, he has raised letters of credit for some other works done for which he has not yet been paid.
The contractor, who was virtually in tears pleaded with the minister to intervene for the monies to be paid to him so that he can complete the project in question.
Mr. Inusah Fuseini therefore summoned him to Accra to access his capacity to complete the work. He promised the angry residents that he will ensure the work is done even if it will mean getting a new contractor.
–
By Gratham-Jaisey Mckintosh/citifmonline.com/Ghana