Eastern regional secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jeff Konadu Addo, has rubbished the claims made by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Afram Plains South, Joseph Appiah Boateng that the Akufo-Addo-led government cannot bring development to the Afram Plains.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2016 campaign promised the people of the Afram Plains about his desire to construct bridge across the River Afram to help abate the frustrations and difficulties people go through when traveling on it.
The MP, Joseph Appiah Boateng who appears not to be so happy on the delay, in a radio interview lambasted the government to stop deceiving them over the Afram Bridge issue.
He also referred to the promise by President Akufo-Addo as deceptive, adding that the NDC can construct the bridge within a short time, forgetting that the NDC had been power for several years.
Reacting to the claims made by the NDC MP, the NPP Regional Secretary, entreated the people of Afram Plains South to believe in President Akufo-Addo’s led government despite the delay in the construction of the bridge on the Afram river.
Mr. Konadu in an encounter with the media said “Yes, we made a firm promise to construct the bridge over this river to make commuting from here and the rest of the country much easier’’.
According to him in 2018, a feasibility study was conducted and the report was sent, financial arrangements were made for it, and just before the elections Parliament was to sit for the approval of such financial arrangements but because of the elections, things didn’t go well.
He explained that ‘’This thing is still here, the contractors or investors who want to come and support us are there on standby. The road ministry will prepare this and send it to Parliament for the final approval and this thing will be done. It’s a firm promise and we will not relent. Some of us who are from here will continue to pursue and to ask the needed questions to make sure this bridge becomes a reality”.
He expressed concern about the misinformation by the MP. “I heard in the news that the MP for this area, unfortunately, went on radio to go and bastardize everybody, saying the NPP government was lying.
“I’m so disappointed in my good friend, the MP, Joseph Appiah Boateng. He is the MP and instead of him to think positively and look at the development of Afram Plains, he is now looking at how things will not work”.
Challenging the NDC MP, he said “As an MP, I believe he could have gone to the Road Ministry to go and find out the truth so that he can come and inform his people but no, he didn’t, he went doing populist politics on radio that it is not true it will never happen whiles you haven’t even gone to the Road Ministry or anybody to go and find out”.
He added that “Please let’s rally around the President has promised, let’s support it, let’s go and find out, let’s question but we don’t go and denigrate the idea and claim that it won’t happen. As an MP, I think he should come back again, I think he should go back to the Road Minister who will be willing to show him and tell him what is going on so that he can come back to the same radio station and tell the people the truth”.
Mr. Konadu emphasized that the President does not forgo his promises and he was sure he will fulfill the promise made to the people.
The bridge, when done will become the longest in the country of about three kilometers.
– FROM Daniel Bampoe, Ekye-Amanfrom