Works on Dambai town roads delayed

Residents of Dambai in the Oti Regional capital want work on the abandoned town roads to resume, to help address the current inconveniences it posed to both drivers and the inhabitants.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that apart from the abandoned road works, most of the drainage systems under construction were already choked with rubbish, blocking the free flow of water, leading to flooding anytime it rains.

Mr Jonas Kwaku Essel, the Assembly man of Dambai Lakeside Area, told the GNA that a diversion of the road, which was under his Electoral area, had recorded several robbery cases due to its bad nature.

He said most people who plied that segment of the road daily were currently living in fear due to the rampant attacks.

About a week ago, a motorbike was snatched from its rider and other victims were also subjected to different forms of attacks, with many of them losing valuable items, including mobile phones and money, he said.

The story was not different from the road leading to Dambai Health Centre, the only government facility in the heart of the regional capital, as transporting pregnant women and patients on the road had become a nightmare.

Mr Nisaw Kofi Michael, who brought his wife to the facility, appealed to the Ministry of Roads and other government agencies to bring the contractor back on site to at least reshape that segment.

The Banka and Old town roads had become dangerous as erosion was gradually washing away the culverts and surface soil.

Some drivers and residents interviewed on the affected roads expressed frustration at the government’s inability to complete the works and urged authorities to complete the project on schedule.

Reverend Asante Wiafe, the Regional Economic Planning Officer, told GNA in an interview that the Urban Roads Department, were yet to open their offices in the region at the time of commissioning Oti, and most of the contracts were awarded from Accra by the Ghana Highway Authority.

He said in the archives of Ghana Highways, there was no project titled Dambai town roads, but rather the reconstruction of Nkwanta to Dambai road (50km) and Dambai town roads awarded to Citi Construction Company Ltd.

Mr Wiafe, however, disclosed that the previous contract had been terminated, but gave an assurance that the authorities were working to repackage the contracts for another contractor to take over the project.