Gov’t will fulfill promise to Kete Krachi – Veep

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has given the assurance that the government was determined to fulfilled its promise to the people of Kete Krachi.

He also announced that government had procured a new ferry and three 50-seater water bus, to enhance the transportation of goods and services in communities along the Volta Lake.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur gave the assurance when he paid a working visit to the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC) based at the Akosombo Port, to inspect the progress of work on the new ferry and three water buses.

The new ferry and two of the water buses are expected to be deployed in Kete Krachi and Kpando, while the other water bus will be on stand-by.

Sometime in 2003, the rickety pontoon which ferried vehicles and goods from the Kete Krachi area across the lake to Brong Ahafo and Ashanti, were removed for rehabilitation.

This brought a lot of hardships and inconveniences to the people, as commercial activities came to a halt.

In 2011, the chiefs and people of Kete Krachi appealed to the late Professor Atta-Mills who sympathetically considered their plight, and ordered that a new pontoon be procured for them.

Later, a temporary pontoon was brought in to hold the fort, while theirs was being completed.

Recently, when Vice President Amissah-Arthur attended a festival at Kete Krachi the chiefs again appealed to him to ensure that their completed pontoon was brought to them and the old one taken back.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur speaking to the media after inspecting the water transport vehicles, stated that it would be much safer for the communities along the Volta Lake to travel on the ferry and the water buses.

According to him, the engineers on the project had started testing the various vessels to ensure that they were watertight, and the marine engines were also operating optimally.

He said the commissioning process by the engineers would take some time before the vessels were sent to their final destinations.

Ms Dzifa Aku Ativor, Minister of Transport, said the creation of the Volta Lake separated many families, and their only means of connecting each other was through the lake transport.

She said the government was determined to provide quality means of transport for communities along the lake, especially for the transportation of goods and services.

She said though it had been a challenge in transporting goods and services, because the old transport vessels were not functioning properly.

However, she said, with the deployment of the new ferry and water buses for communities along the lake, the problem would be solved.