Kobina Nkrumah reading the press statement
About 500 residents, mostly the youth, of Adum Banso in the Mpohor District of the Western Region yesterday staged a peaceful protest against the poor roads in the area.
As early as 7 am, the irate youth, clad in red attires and bands and holding placards, blocked the roads leading to Mpohor, the district capital, and burnt car tyres in the middle of the road.
The situation affected workers and schoolchildren who use the road to their various destinations.
Women, children, the physically challenged and the aged had to be carried through swampy ground to enable them board vehicles from the outskirts of the town to their various destinations.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity told DAILY GUIDE that the bad roads, which had been left unattended for years, had adversely affected commuters and motorists.
He indicated that due to the deteriorated roads, commercial vehicles, especially taxis, hesitate to drive to the area, adding that those who offered their services charged exorbitant fares.
The resident said pregnant women often have complication as a result of the bad roads.
Another resident who preferred to be called Ato said during the rainy season, the situation becomes so bad that vehicles do not come to the area.
“Anytime we complain about the issue, a grader comes to level the road, which deteriorates in a short time. So we are calling on the authorities concerned to expedite action on the construction of the roads”, he added.
Adum Mabso and its surrounding communities are known to be one of the largest cocoa producing areas, with large gold and iron deposits.
A palm oil processing company, Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP), which contributes between GH¢145 million and GH¢200 million to the state per year, is also located in the area.
The residents have therefore given a two-week ultimatum to the government to fix their bad roads else they would advise themselves.
They claimed that recently, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of a 15.5 kilometre road from Kejebir to the district capital, Mpohor, and wondered why it was not extended to the deplorable Adum Banso road which is about 10 minutes drive from Mpohor.
Addressing a press conference later, Kobina Nkrumah, secretary to the youth of Adum Banso, asserted that since the community was formed in 1811, the area had not seen an inch of tarred road.
He mentioned that on June 10 this year, the President cut the sod for the construction of a 16 kilometre road from Kejebir to Mpohor.
According to him the construction of the road should have rather started from Benso through Adum Banso, Mpohor ending at Kejebir.
He noted that successive governments had always put the roads in the community under ‘phase of construction of roads’ in the district but nothing had been done.
“We believe the road ministry and government representatives in the district did not brief the President well on the bad roads in the region”, he added.
Chief
The chief of Adum Banso, Nana Kwandoh Brempong III, also appealed to the President to act on a petition from the people to change the district from “Mpohor District” to “Mpohor Wassa Fiase District” to reflect the cultural and ethnic composition of the district.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Adum Banso