Residents and Public Servants including Civil Society Organisations in Bolgatanga have expressed concern about the deplorable state of the structures of the Upper East Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga, the Regional capital.
The structure was among projects constructed during the Ghana at 50 Celebrations. As part of the Ghana at 50 celebrations, each region in the country was tasked to construct a jubilee park for the anniversary celebrations.
Whilst in other regions the parks are in good condition, the Upper East Regional park is in a deplorable state as most of the roofs are badly leaking, the metal works falling apart while managers of the facility have barricaded places of convenience compelling patrons to use the environs of the park to ease themselves.
Areas earmarked for stores as part of the project, had been abandoned making the whole project incomplete.
A visit to the Park also showed that water supply had been disconnected by the Ghana Urban Water Company for non-payment of bills, and as a result, during state and public functions people cannot access the Wash rooms to ease themselves. They are compelled to use the area behind the structures, which gives off a strong stench.
The Regional Vice President of the Coalition of NGOs in Health, Mr Alagskomah Noble Asakeya said the situation was not only creating a nuisance but a potential health hazard and called on the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to ensure that it settled the Ghana Urban Water Company to re-connect water to the facility.
He expressed surprise at the rate at which louver blades at the facility were being broken including those at the press galleries as well as the attempted removal of iron bars mounted on the Walls by thieves and wondered why the Municipal Assembly had not put caretakers at the place.
Bismark Ayorogo Adongo, President of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA) said the contractor poorly executed the job and indicated that leakages on the structure is so widespread that it is becoming impossible for public functions to be organised at the venue during rainy seasons.
Emmanuel Akayeti, a broadcaster, blamed the poorly executed work to poor supervision and bad leadership in the region and said unlike the Upper East Region, all the other regions had standard Jubilee Parks constructed for them.
“In our region one of the structures had not been completed. The iron rods meant for the uncompleted building are getting rusted and if care is not taken they will be stolen. Our leaders in the Region are failing us and it is high time they woke up,” Mr Akayeti stressed.
