Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has commissioned the Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu portion of the Eastern Corridor Road project in the Oti Region.
The 56.4 km road which was commissioned on Thursday, September 8, 2020, at Kadjebi was started in December 2019 and completed a few months ago.
The $45million road project was funded under an Engineering and Procurement Contract (EPC) between the government and Sinohydro Corporation Limited of China under the Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) spearheaded by the Vice President.
The road which has been on the drawing board for years links the southern parts to the northern parts of Ghana and neighbouring countries along Ghana’s Eastern and Northern Eastern Boundaries.
The commissioned section in particular links towns such as Kadjebi, Menuso, Dzindziso, Poase Cement, Koto Nkwanta, Ahamasu, Dodi Papase, and Dodo Pepesu to Nkwanta South and Nkwanta North.
These areas are noted for their huge agricultural potential; specifically in the area of rice, yam, ginger, maize, beans, sorghum, and millet among others.
About a decade ago, travelling along that section was a death trap and could take several hours and sometimes days to get food transported to the Southern part.
However, this latest addition to the motorable parts of the Eastern Corridor will reduce travel time drastically, and improve access to food, commercial activities, and the living condition of residents.
Dr. Bawumia stressed that the government is committed to completing all road projects in the Oti Region to open up the infant Region, stimulate opportunities and propel development.
To this end, he indicated that aside from the Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu road, “works are ongoing on some other roads like the Asikuma Junction-Kpeve, the Have-Hohoe- 53.5km, Hohoe-Jasikan section- 30km, the Nkwanta-Oti Damanko- 50.3km up to Kpassa. Construction of the Oti Damanko- Yendi- 94km is ongoing, as well as Yendi-Gbintri- 113km.”
Beyond the Oti Region, several road projects have been broken into Lots under Phase 1 of the MPSA) has either been completed or was nearing completion across Ghana and government will continue to make road facelifts a priority.
He said this is a testament to the fact that the Akufo-Addo government is poised toward breaking infrastructural barriers to expand the road infrastructure in the newly created regions in the County.
The minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Attah added that the government will adopt smart, progressive, and innovative methods to improve the road infrastructure in the country as well as contribute to the socio-economic development of the people of Oti.
The Baamohene of Kadjebi Nana Asabre Amankwatia II was appreciative of the government’s infrastructure projects in the Oti Region and asked for the speedy completion of other ongoing projects to facilitate the movement of goods and services to other parts of the country.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)