Farmers in Upper West Akim Cries Over Deplorable Roads

Farmers in the Upper West Akim Constituency in the Eastern region have complained bitterly about the poor road network in their communities.

According to them, they are unable to transport their farm produce to the market centres due to the bad nature of the roads.

The farmers said the conditions of some sections of the road between Mepom to Canaan, Ntenkyerekye to Kwadwo Armah and Nyanoa to Abamkrom to Esaaso were in a deplorable state.

The farmers appeal comes a day after the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Derek Ohene Bekoe had invited the Minister of Roads and Highways to Parliament to answer a question as to when the Mepom to Canaan, Ntenkyerekye to Kwadwo and Nyanoa- Abamkrom – Esaaso roads would be upgraded.

The farmers complained that when it rains vehicles are not able to ply the road and they would have to carry their food stuffs and pregnant women in labour across the slippery hills to areas such as Ntenkyerekye and Abamkrom.

“The hills become slippery making it impossible for vehicles to ply on that section of the road. We carry dead bodies across deplorable stretches of the road on Fridays when it rains, because the ambulance cannot climb the hill” they stressed.

The farmers therefore appealed to Mr Derek Ohene Bekoe Asifo, and Mr Eugene Kwabena Sackey, the District Chief Executive to coerce government to come to their aid.

The people also appealed to the Minister of Roads and Highways to as a matter of urgency upgrade the deplorable roads with gravels for commuters to easily ply the various communities before the rains start.

Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways in his response promised to carry out an engineering design on the roads during the third quarter of the year.

He said government has no major upgrading programme on the aforementioned roads as the period is getting close to the rainy season.

Mr Ohene Bekoe also appealed to the Roads Minister to immediately intervene to enable vehicles to ply the area.

Source: GNA