Kpenoe/Takla Youth petition President Mahama over road

The youth of Kpenoe and Takla in the Ho-Kpeta Zone of Asogli, in the Volta Region, have petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to intervene for work to begin on a 15-kilometre road connecting the two communities.

The petition said President Mahama at the 2015 Yam Festival of the chiefs and people of Asogli promised that the stretch would be fixed “soon” and asked the Head of State to make good his promise, else they would boycott the December polls.

It said several months after they released land to a contractor brought by Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament for the area to be used as project site.

The petition, signed by Sohefia Amevor and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the bad nature of road network in the area makes it very difficult for farmers to move their produce to neighbouring towns.

“The present state of the road derails economic activities since buyers could no longer move to the area comfortably. Those who dares because of the quality of products soon realise transport cost is taking away a greater portion of their profits and stop,” it stated.

The petition alleged that health workers and teachers posted to the communities are irregular on duty because the roads are inaccessible, a situation affecting their health, especially maternal healthcare and the performance of pupils in the area at the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

The people of Kpenoe and Takla are predominantly farmers who rely on the cultivation of fresh vegetables, cassava and yam.

The petition said the bad nature of the 15- kilometre Ho-Kpenoe-Takla, Hodzo road, one of the oldest in the Ho Municipality and said to be among the shortest routes to neighbouring Togo, has caused the reduction in the cultivation of crops due to transportation challenges.