Mahama breaks ground for cocoa roads rehabilitation

President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday cut the sod to mark the start of the rehabilitation of roads in cocoa growing communities, with a call on Ghanaians to avoid chieftaincy and religious disputes to promote development.

He said a stop to such disputes would help attract investors and create jobs for the budding youth.

President Mahama, who was in Adeiso in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region for the ground breaking event, said roads are key to socio-economic development.

The roads in the cocoa growing communities are part of those the COCOBOD had earmarked to rehabilitate at a cost of $ 150 million.

In his state of the Nation address this year, President Mahama said the construction and rehabilitation of the roads in the cocoa growing areas would help increase the production of the crop.

Some of the roads to be constructed and rehabilitated include Adeiso-Asamankese, Asamankese-Suhum, Osenase-Akwatia, Apedwa-Kyebi and Suhum-Krobiano.

President Mahama said work on the Kyebi town roads would be done in the first phase of the rehabilitation, while the Adeiso town roads would form part of the second phase.

President Mahama denounced character assassination and name calling in political campaigns, saying politics is about competition of ideas and opinions and not insults.

Mr Boasiako-Sekyere, Regional Minister, said government had constructed a number of roads in the region, and the rehabilitation of the cocoa roads would facilitate the carting of foodstuff from farming communities to marketing centres.

He said cocoa production would also see a boost as post-harvest losses would be reduced.

Osabarima Asare Oduro, Paramount Chief of Adeiso, commended President Mahama for creating a new district for the people of Upper West Akyem.

He appealed to government to work on the Adeiso town roads and step up the building of infrastructure to attract more businesses and investments to the area.