Volta River Estates Limited reshape 5km of Akuse roads

Portions of the deplorable road network on the main Akuse, Asutuare road in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region have been reshaped to give respite to drivers and other road users.

The road users are benefiting from the reshaping of their deplorable roads by the Volta River Estates Limited (VREL).

The decision to reshape the road from the VRA junction through the Akuse township to Dormeliam near Asutuare follows a series of protests by residents and commercial drivers who reside and ply the Akuse, Asutsuare, Osuwem, and Volivo roads to register their displeasure over deplorable roads in their communities.

The protesters who bemoaned the poor road network linking the communities expressed dissatisfaction with successive governments for failing to upgrade their poor roads, which they say are negatively affecting all facets of their lives.

The area is also known as a hub for several factories with the people also accusing the companies of doing nothing to address the problem.

Therefore, as part of its corporate social responsibility towards contributing its widow’s mite to address the deplorable road network in the area, VREL has taken it upon itself to reshape the road.

Director of the Volta River Estates Limited (VREL), Anthony Blay explained in an

interview that the Company’s decision to reshape the road stemmed from the regular concerns raised by the people.

“The community over a year ago blocked the road to draw the government’s attention to the state, but nothing happened. Eventually, VRA together with other stakeholders stepped in to see how we could help put it into slightly better shape but after several meetings and consultations, nothing has taken place so quite recently, the community raised the issue again and we felt that in our small way, we could be able to put it into a reasonable shape,” he explained.

According to him, the company was compelled to individually undertake the project following futile efforts to get other stakeholders including other factories and companies operating in the area on board.

He was hopeful that the reshaping, though not a permanent solution to the problem, would go a long way to address the challenge in the interim.

As part of efforts to raise revenue to fix the problem, Mr. Blay suggested that sand-winning trucks plying the enclave pay a token to either the local Assembly or traditional authorities to enable them to reshape the road regularly.

“More than fifty trucks come to the area to win sand every day, if per cubic meter we decide to take one cedi…to the end buyer of the product, every month you’ll be getting close to GHC 30,000, not big money but that can enable you to reshape the road at least once in two months,” he suggested.

On his part, the move, according to the planting manager for the company, Ebenezer Dotse Narobi was to make some of the worst affected portions of the roads accessible for commuters, including its vehicles.

“We have trucks that carry our bananas through the township and over the years, we’ve not had any challenge with the roads although the roads have not been good, our trucks come here every week and our buses also bring our workers here,” he asserted.

Attributing the operations of some sand-winning companies to the rapid deterioration of the roads, the manager recounted how the demonstrators, directed their grievances over the state of the roads to the private companies instead of the appropriate authorities.

According to him, subsequent threats intended to be taken by the people against the companies and factories compelled VREL to undertake the project.

“We heard that they were going to block the roads again, this time, they were bent on even attacking us because they thought they could take us as a company hostage for something which is not our responsibility so management decided that let us pick part of our finance although we pay taxes to the government…and then reshape the road temporarily,” Mr. Narobi said.

He added that the action has endeared the company to the hearts of the people.

He said the company would continue to undertake its corporate social responsibilities as and when the need arises for the benefit of the people.