Asantehene plead with Anane

....wants Asafo interchange deadline extended
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has proposed an extension of the deadline given to contractors to finish work on the Asafo interchange in Kumasi.

Otumfuo believes that a December 2006 deadline, recently issued by Road Transport Minister Dr. Richard Anane cannot be met by Sarroch Granulati Gelfi-JV, the Italian company working on the project.

Several completion deadlines had already been altered as a result of technical and administrative failings.

The Asantehene, who made the proposal during an inspection tour of some public development projects in Kumasi, said a date in February 2007 would be more realistic.

The tour also took him to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, the City Hotel and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The Ashanti Regional Minister Emmanuel Owusu Ansah and the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Patricia Appiagyei accompanied the Asantehene.

At the City Hotel, workers complained about poor working conditions for which Otumfuo promised to intervene for appropriate action.

The CEO of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare told Otumfuo about plans to establish a modern eye care centre to be named after the king.

Otumfuo advised the various contractors to execute their jobs perfectly in order to win the confidence of the people.