The chief of Kpassa – the capital of Nkwanta North District in the Volta Region – has lamented the bad nature of the road in the area which has led to dust accumulation.
The chief, Ubor Konja V1, lamented: “If you come to Kpassa you will see that we eat and drink the dust. In fact, we are swimming in dust because of the bad road. The road is too dusty.”
According to him, because the dust had engulfed the whole area, their foods, water, clothes and many other things are always covered to prevent dust from contaminating them.
The chief who was unhappy with the nature of the road said immediately one leaves Nkwanta in the Nkwanta South District and moves towards Kpassa to Damanko in the Nkwanta North District, he or she is ‘decorated’ with dust which has earned them the name “Kpassa Power”.
The chief added that because the area has only one health centre, many of their health services are referred to Nkwanta in Nkwanta South and Bimbila in the Northern Region. The nature of the road makes such journeys life-threatening for patients, especially pregnant women.
Bad Road Affecting Food Supply
A resident, Mathias Chattey, also lamented how vehicles that ply the area had to struggle to move around. He warned that should the rains begin, the situation would become worse; it would be difficult for vehicular movement.
Ubor Konja said many pleas had been made to successive governments but little has been done, adding that “the previous NDC government promised, but did nothing. This government has also promised and we are yet to see something.”
He was unhappy that the road from Nkwanta, Kpassa to Oti to Damanko which is part of the much-talked about Eastern Corridor road was not mentioned in the State of the Nation Address delivered recently.
He therefore warned that if nothing was done urgently, he would mobilise his people to stage a massive demonstration against the bad nature of the road, because enough was enough.
DCE Appeals
The District Chief Executive for the area, Jackson Jakayi, admitted that the road situation was bad, but pleaded with residents to bear with the assembly as its reconstruction was beyond the resources of the assembly.
He said that the frequent watering of the road at Kpassa to minimize the effects of the dust had halted because the cost to the assembly was too huge. He gave an assurance that alternative arrangements were being put in place to improve the situation, while government repairs the road.
From Fred Duodu, Kpassa