Teshie-Lascala residents lament ‘dusty’ 2-year-old road project [Audio]

Residents along the Teshie-Lascala road in Accra have expressed displeasure about the deplorable state of the road and the health hazards they are exposed to as a result.

The construction of the road has stalled since the 2016 elections because the government has failed to pay the contractor working on the project.

The 7.5 kilometer stretch, which connects Spintex Road to the Tema-Accra Beach road, has since deteriorated further.

Unfortunately for the residents, the area leading up to the LEKMA hospital where they seek respite has become engulfed in dust from the road, worsening their already terrible health situation.

Citi News’ Caleb Kudah who visited the area said that “nearly every surface of the LEKMA hospital is covered in dust and the air conditioners here illustrate it better.”

“The fans have trapped a lot of dust and the situation has left residents here wondering that if fans of air-conditioners are trapping so much dust at the hospital how much more dust are they inhaling from this road especially when most of them have their little tables very close to the road side? A doctor here told me that the nature of the road makes it difficult for emergency cases to be rushed in because drivers always have to slow down in order to bring in patients,” he added.

Meanwhile, residents along the stretch may have to endure all the challenges that come with the unfinished road until government pays GHc25 million, an initial amount Malin Investment, the firm working on the road used to pre-finance the project.

The entire project cost at the time the project was awarded stood at GHc62 million.

The contractor, Francis Kpelu complained that “since we started this road, we raised certificate number one, two, three, four and five. It was only number one that was honoured by the government.”

“As I’m talking to you, we have an outstanding payments from number two, three, four and five totaling GHc25 million. The question is, if a local person wants to do something to support the whole country, should we be treated this way? Over one year now, we have also not been working, because they’ve not paid us,” the contractor added.

Mr. Kpelu said he wrote a letter in 2017 to the Roads Minister drawing his attention to the payments but has not received any response.

Click below for the full report filed by Caleb Kudah:

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana