Bad Roads: My People have been Cut Off – MP laments to Roads Minister in Parliament

Member of Parliament for the Saboba constituency, Joseph Nikpe Bukari, has called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to urgently repair some major roads that have cut off some of the communities in the Constituency.

According to the MP, the Wapuli – Yankazia – Wadol, the Wapuli – Bubruni and the Wapul – Jilimani Chanbung roads have been washed away by rains thereby cutting off the communities from the District.

He said, bumpy rides, deep potholes, hilly paths and eroded portions are some defining features of a total of 26 kilometre roads, which connect the communities to Saboba and to other Districts of the Northern Region.

This came to light on Friday, July 21, 2023 when the MP posed a question to the Minister of Roads and Highways on the floor of Parliament in that regard.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when works on the following roads will resume and be completed: Wapuli – Yankazia – Wadol, the Wapuli – Bubruni, and the Wapul – Jilimani Chanbung roads?”, the MP questioned the sector Minister, Hon Kwesi Amoako Atta.

He noted that, daily, over 5,000 residents of these communities went through hell and agony to reach their destinations, a situation he said needed urgent attention from the government.

In response, the sector minister Amoako Atta said the  6.5km Wapuli-Yankazia-Wadol feeder road, is an inter-district road connecting  Saboba and Gushiegu districts in the Northern Region.

According to him, the stretch of road is partially engineered and is in poor condition, while the Wapuli-Bubruni feeder road is 8km long and is also in poor condition.

Again, the Minister admitted that the Wapuli-Jilimani-Chanbung road is 11.5km long and is also a partially engineered road in poor condition.

He said the roads were awarded on Contract for the rehabilitation under the project titled “Rehabilitation of WapuliBubruni-Jiram & Wapuli-Nakpagni-Chambung (26km)” on 12th July 2016 and commenced on 29th September 2016 for completion by 29th September 2017.

The Contractor, the Minister said has abandoned the project after achieving 52% physical progress due to delay in payment for work done but the contract has been recommended for termination after issuing warning letters to the Contractor without any favorable response.

He said the work executed includes: 1/900 Pipe Culvert, 2/900 Pipe Culvert, and  3/3×3 Box Culvert, emphasizing that, the contract would be repackaged after termination to complete the outstanding works.

Hon Amoako Atta assured the MP and the people of the affected communities in the Saboba District that, the Ministry would consider such roads as emergency roads and would contact the engineers to return to the site and take immediate action to save lives and property.

Notwithstanding, Hon Bukari lamented that the roads that lead to farming communities have remained in a deplorable state for a long time, the bridges collapsed and the communities have been cut off from other parts of the District and farmers are unable to access the rest of the communities.

He said the roads were partly rehabilitated during the administration of former President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but gave way a few years after due to uncompleted work, low work quality, and lack of proper drainage system.

The MP however urged the Minister to treat the roads as an emergency issue by fulfilling his promise timely and fixed the roads as the communities remained cut off from the rest of the District.

Source: expressnewsghana.com