NPP, NDC fight over development in Afram Plains

The governing New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress are in a verbal tussle over infrastructural growth in the Afram Plains area.

The NDC MP for Afram Plains South, Joseph Appiah Boateng, in a recent media engagement berated the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to fulfil its promise of constructing what would be the longest bridge in Ghana over the Afram River, a promise he made as far back as 2016.

According to the NDC MP, the president’s promise is a deceptive one and that it will only take a party committed to development in the area, like the NDC, to fulfil.

In a quick response, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Jeff Konadu who has contested the parliamentary seat for both Afram Plains North and South in the past, said the government of Nana Akufo-Addo remains committed to fulfilling the promise it made to the people of Afram Plains.

According to the regional scribe of the ruling government, efforts have already been made in ensuring the construction of the bridge commences despite the delay.

He revealed that a feasibility study for the project was done in 2018. However, government failed to have parliament commit funds to the project due to the 2020 general elections.

"This thing is still here, the contractors or investors who want to come and support us are there on standby. The road ministry will prepare this and send it to Parliament for the final approval and this thing will be done. It’s a firm promise and we will not relent. Some of us who are from here will continue to pursue and to ask the needed questions to make sure this bridge becomes a reality.”

He, therefore, challenged the position of the MP saying he was engaging in populist politics.

“I heard in the news that the MP for this area, unfortunately, went on radio to go and bastardize everybody, saying the NPP government was lying. I’m so disappointed in my good friend, the MP, Joseph Appiah Boateng. He is the MP and instead of him to think positively and look at the development of Afram Plains, he is now looking at how things will not work.”

“As an MP, I believe he could have gone to the Road Ministry to go and find out the truth so that he can come and inform his people but no, he didn’t, he went doing populist politics on radio that it is not true, it will never happen whiles you haven’t even gone to the Road Ministry or anybody to go and find out.”

President Nana Addo before winning his first term bid promised the people of Afram Plains a bridge over the river which is the main point of entry to the twin constituencies as well as a teacher training college among other promises.

Despite completing his first term and commencing his second and final term as president, the people of Afram Plains are yet to see a materialization of the president’s promise.

The NDC has continuously chided the NPP for ignoring the area in terms of development despite the NDC itself also enjoying dominance in the area. The NPP in response has always criticized the opposition party for failing to bring development to one of its strongholds during its various stints in power.

The Afram Plains area is a near landlocked area that has all of its major entry points being via a crossing over either the Afram or Volta Lake. Besides the stress commuters in the area go through in crossing the rivers, sometimes in very dangerous conditions, the road network in the Afram Plains area which once used to be touted as the “food basket” of the country is nothing to write home about.