Chiefs plead for action on Atebubu-Kwame Danso road
Chiefs and residents in the Sene West District and adjoining areas in the Bono East Region have called on the government to immediately rehabilitate the 36-kilometre Atebubu-Kwame Danso road to save the area from being cut off from the rest of the country.
They have complained that “the road has become almost impassable and dangerous to travel on.”
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The chiefs poured their frustrations over the delayed rehabilitation of the road when the Bono East Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Amoakohene, paid separate courtesy calls on them during a two-day official working visit to the area.
Condition of road
The Atebubu Amantin-Kwame Danso road is bumpy and dusty and riddled with potholes, while erosion has eaten large parts of it, rendering it difficult and dangerous to drive on.
When it rains, part of the road is covered with water, exposing motorists and passengers to the risk of accidents.
The road has also become a prime area for armed robbers, with reports of some traders and farmers being attacked.
Basa
At Basa, the Omanhene of the traditional area, Nana Owusu Sakyi III, said public service workers, including members of the security services, had refused posting to the area because of the condition of the road, while those who were currently stationed there were seeking to be transferred to other areas.
He added that the poor condition of the road had emboldened armed robbers to intensify their activities in the area since it was almost impossible for the police and other security agencies to chase them.
Other traditional leaders at Kajaji and Kwame Danso also made the same request for the road to be rehabilitated.
Residents also called for an improvement in the water systems as most communities in the area lacked potable water.
The chiefs appealed to the minister for the various clinics and health centres to be upgraded to hospital status to provide quality health delivery.
Socio-economic activities
The poor state of the road has brought socio-economic activities in the eastern part of the region to a near standstill as residents remain frustrated.
It is negatively affecting the health of the residents and the revenue generation of the various assemblies, hence the lack of development in the area.
Frustration
The situation has left farmers and traders frustrated because of the difficulties they face in transporting their farm produce to the major market centres in Kumasi, Techiman, Nkoranza, Sunyani and other parts of the country.
Foodstuffs such as yam and plantain are said to have been locked up in farms because trucks cannot access the area or some drivers are unwilling to ply the route because of the condition of the road.
The drivers complained that they risked getting stuck in the mud when it rained because of the condition of the road.
As a result, foodstuffs at the Kwame Danso and Kajaji markets get rotten as traders from the major markets of the country refuse to patronise their markets.
Affected districts & communities
The situation also affects the Sene East District and some parts of the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality.
The affected communities include Atebubu, Bye Bye, Bantama, Kwame Danso, Kyeamekrom, Boniafo, Leemu, Nyankwantre, Premuasi and Kajaji.
Others are neighbouring communities in the Sene East District mainly noted for crop cultivation, fishing and trading.
Response
Responding to the concerns of the chiefs and people of the area, Mr Amoakohene assured them of the government’s commitment to rehabilitate the Atebubu Amantin-Kwame-Danso road before the close of next year.
He said the Atebubu-Kwame-Danso road, along with the Atebubu-Amantin-Kunfi, Afakwasi Busuaya-Nkoranza and the Kintampo-Prang roads, had been captured in the 2019 Mid-year Budget Review presented to Parliament by the Minister for Finance for the necessary attention.