Bad roads in Jomoro: NDC slams Bawumia over unfulfilled promise

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Executives Committee in the Jomoro Constituency of the Western Region, has descended heavily on the vice president of Ghana, His Excellency Mahamudu Bawumia for failing to reconstruct deplorable road networks in the constituency on time.

Addressing a news conference at Tikobo Number One lorry park, the Constituency Communications Officer, Lenrie Nyamekeh, expressed disappointment in the vice president for "deceiving" the good people of Jomoro Constituency.

He reminded the newsmen that in 2020, the vice president came to Jomoro to cut sod for the reconstruction of the major deplorable roads and town roads in the area and promised to complete them within two years.

He stated that the timeline given on the construction works by the vice president had elapsed yet nothing had been done on the road.

"Friends from the media, you will recall that, on October, 9th 2020, the vice president during a two-day working visit to the Western Region, came to Jomoro and in the presence of Awulae Annor Adjei III, cut sod for the construction of the Samenye barrier to Jaway Wharf and to Newtown roads.

In that 'votes winning' ceremony, the vice president promised that the 108.8km road (Including some town roads such as Bonyere, Tikobo 1, Tikobo 2, Ebonloa etc.) would be completed in two years by My Turn Ltd and Kinspok Company Ltd", he emphasized.

"Ladies and gentlemen from the media, it will interest you to know that, the time frame given by the vice president for the road to be completed elapsed last year and yet our roads have rather moved from bad to worse. The MCE, Ms Louisa Arde, also on the other hand kept on keeping our faith high in the heavens. Just November last year, the MCE is on record to have stated on New Day FM that she has done all that she's supposed to do and in no time contractors would move to site to begin work", he added.

He bemoaned that, "This road has become a thorn in the flesh of both drivers and passengers in the Jomoro Constituency".

"Friends from the media, it has been realized that, just like the appointor, the appointee also lied to us. If it is tomorrow that the contractor will come on the road, that we do not know", he added.

The Jomoro NDC Constituency Communications observed that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government has taken the good people of Jomoro Constituency for granted.

He said that the constituency is endowed with so many natural resources such as oil and gas but their constituency was lacking development.

He, therefore, called on the Akufo-Addo government to think about Jomoro Constituency.

"The good people of Jomoro deserve development. As Article 36(6) of the 1992 constitution clearly states, there shall be fairness in the distribution of development and equality in economic opportunity for all without exception.

"How come a constituency which is at the heart of Ghana's oil and gas sector is denied its fair share of development? This is mere wickedness and intentional deprivation. We need our share of the oil and gas proceeds. So we say Fix Our Roads Now!" he said.

He worried,"Concerned Drivers Association in the constituency also couldn't hold their nerves any longer as the Constituency Secretariat are the immediately affected people of the bad nature of roads. Apart from the rising prices of spare parts and the increasing fuel prices at the pumps (despite the gold for oil policy), they have to also spend hours on a road that they could have spent minutes on. So they had to embark on a three-day sit-down strike without moving their vehicles. This brought untold inconveniences to passengers. Pregnant women have to endure the pain of labour as well as the pain of making a deadly voyage to hospital for antenatal."

He expressed shock, "Surprisingly, H. E. Bawumia this week came to Jomoro on Tuesday, 25th July 2023 to campaign to be elected as the NPP flag bearer. And in running away from his own shadow, knowing very well he has lied to the good people of Jomoro, decided to use the Alabokazo Benyinli road that was constructed by the erstwhile Mahama government just to swerve the deplorable road from Samenye."

He appealed, "Ghanaians and for that matter, Jomoronians voted for NPP to solve our problems and not to become problems for us. We are therefore calling on the government to fix our roads now (at least bring it to its former state as they met it) to avoid other actions supported by law from indigenes of Jomoro."

He, took the opportunity, to commend their Member of Parliament (MP), Dorcas Afo-Toffey for summoning the Minister for Roads and Highway before Parliament House on several occasions on the deplorable state of road networks in Jomoro constituency.

"We would also want to commend her for having the Samenye barrier to Jaway Wharf and the town roads at heart for which reason, on the 10th of March 2023, she summoned the Roads minister to the floor of Parliament and asked about when the said road will be completed. It was striking to note from the Minister's response that the road that was supposed to have been completed on 24th December 2022 has now become a death trap for residents in Jomoro as of today the 29th of July 2023," he told the media.