Shama MCE assures youth of speedy completion of Nyankrom road

The Municipal Chief Executive for Shama in the Western Region, Paul Otis Dentu, expressed surprise that some aggrieved youth of Nyankrom blocked the road, despite being aware that the contractor is still on site.

“Just a few days ago, I had a productive meeting with them where I explained what has been happening behind the scenes and we reached a full understanding,” he noted.

On Monday May 4, 2026, some youth, supported by commercial drivers, set parts of the 1.5-kilometer stretch ablaze using tires and other materials, effectively blocking the road and disrupting both vehicular and pedestrian movement, as reported by 3news.com on May 5, 2026.

The protest left several students participating in the ongoing BECE stranded for nearly an hour.

In response to the situation, Dentu attributed the temporary halt in rehabilitation works to changes in the initial design, which require the relocation of pipelines by the Ghana Water Company.

He emphasised that the contractor has remained on site. “I don’t believe the demonstration was necessary. The contractor has always been present. We are currently waiting for Ghana Water to relocate their pipelines, and the leadership is aware and agreed that work should resume after this process,” he explained.

Dentu further indicated that the pause in construction is intended to prevent damage to essential water infrastructure and urged residents to be patient.

“If the contractor proceeds without the relocation, the pipelines will be affected, which will disrupt the water supply to the community. We have given a two-week timeline for the relocation while the contractor continues to address some problem areas along the stretch,” he added.

Meanwhile, checks by ConnectNews confirm that the road has since been cleared of the burning tires and other obstructions.

Notably, BECE students who were previously forced to trek several kilometers to access transportation to their examination centers have now been spared that ordeal.

“Yesterday, we saw how frustrated our young ones writing the BECE were, and we had to be considerate. Additionally, the Western Regional Police Commander called and pleaded with us to halt our actions, assuring us that we would see changes on the road in the next two days. We have taken his word for it,” stated the leader of the youth group, Isreal Kwesi Eshun.

However, the youth are already gathering items for their next demonstration should the Western Regional Police Commander fail to honor his promise.

NAD/AM

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