Amasaman road contractor abandons project over unpaid salaries

The Member of Parliament for Amasaman, Emmanuel Nii Okai Laryea, has bemoaned the state of roads in his constituency and stated that contractor engaged to be working on the major roads in the area has not been on site for the past 8 months due to unpaid salaries.

It is believed that the contractor owes close to Ghc70,000 hence her decision to abandon the project in areas such as Obeyeyie-Manhean, Manhean-Oduman, Oduman-Nsakina in the Amasaman constituency.

These developments follow a question asked the Roads Minister by Mr Laryea on the completion date of the major roads including Obeyeyie-Manhean, Manhean-Oduman, Oduman-Nsakina in the Amasaman constituency.

Deputy Roads Minister, Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi in response to the question on the Amasaman roads indicated that the roads formed part of the Borkorborkor feeder road project.

He explained that ; “The works have been executed to the sub-base level, however, delay in payment for work done has affected the progress of work. Overall physical progress as at the end of May,2017 has been estimated at 58%.”

According to the Member of Parliament, (MP), the construction of roads in the Amasaman constituency was commenced by the previous administration, but has stalled for the past eight months.

“Unfortunately for about a year, between 8months to a year we haven’t seen any significant advancement with regard to the roads and just recently about a month ago, the people within that catchment area in Oduman, Manhean, Nsakina demonstrated against the poor nature of the road so it was one of the reasons that informed this question to the minister and find out the state of the road and when completion is expected to take place.

Per the answers given by the Minister, originally, they were supposed to have completed it in 2016 but the completion date has been pushed to 2017 August because of additional works that were added to the contract, however, I was particularly not too happy with some of the answers that the minister gave”

The MP maintains that he would come back to Parliament with a repackaged question for the Roads Minister on the completion time for the roads.

Some residents in the catchment area at Amasaman blocked major roads last month to demonstrate against bad roads, burning car tyres and preventing drivers and commuters from plying these roads.

The project commenced on 5th June, 2015 and was projected for completion by 9th August 2016. The completion date has, however, been extended to 9th August,2017 due to the inclusion of additional drainage works.