Fufuo citizens threaten to boycott 2004 elections

The people of Fufuo near Barekese have threatened to boycott the 2004 general elections in protest against the neglect of the Fufuo-Barekese road by the government.

The 8.5-kilometre feeder road was in a bad state, cutting off the area from the rest of the country.

Nana Owusu Ansah, chief of Fufuo, Mr Godfried Paul Nti, the assembly member, Mr Richmond Nti, the unit committee chairman and Mr Osei Asibey Bonsu, an opinion leader, said these at an emergency meeting at Fufuo.

''Drivers have refused to ply the road and large quantities of foodstuffs and other cash crops are left to rot because the farmers cannot cart them to the marketing centers.''

Economic activities including farming have virtually halted and the people carry their loads to board vehicles at Barekese to other destinations.

They said appeals to the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, Atwima District Assembly and the Member of Parliament for the area yielded no positive results.

Mr Nti showed to the newsmen a document that indicated that the Barekese-Fufuo-Adugyama feeder road was awarded on contract to M/S Limakma Construction firm in August 2002 at the cost of over 2.3 billion cedis for re-shaping but nothing has so far been done on it.

Mr Bonsu alleged that Fufuo had been neglected and denied of its fair share of the national cake due to its political stand and expressed surprise and shock that the current government should also abandon the town.

Nana Owusu Ansah appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to ensure that the road was rehabilitated