News:
May 31, 2011
Rehabilitation works on the bridge over the Birim River, in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region has come to a standstill with no work done on the bridge for the past one month.
The poor state of the bridge brought a lot of inconvenience to residence of the Birim Central Municipality and other Cocoa farmers as the bridge links cocoa producing areas of the Ashanti and Eastern Regions.
Residents of Akim Oda and Nkwanta claim since its construction about 50 years ago, the bridge has seen no major rehabilitation works which has resulted in its deteriorating state over the years.
Repair works on the GH¢ 210,000 which is being conducted by the Ghana Highway Authority and begun in January was expected to be completed by the beginning of April 2011 but that obviously has not been achieved.
Speaking to ghanamps.gov.gh, the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng, expressed his disquiet about the apparent slow pace of work on the bridge since the rehabilitation work started.
He was at pains to understand why repair works on such a major bridge could not be done with the urgency that it deserved.
“This bridge which links cocoa producing areas of the Ashanti and Eastern Regions is very important and it must be a priority on the list of government projects to complete the repair works in earnest to avoid the cocoa products going waste’’ he said.
Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng stated that information he is yet to confirm indicates that the halting of the repair works is as a result of government not releasing adequate funds to ensure the completion of the project.
He added that he will soon meet the sector Minister of Roads and Highways Joe Gidisu to find out from him the reasons behind the stopping of the rehabilitation works and how quickly repair works would begin and be expedited.
Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh