Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has cut the sod for the construction of a 55.55Km Bawdie Asikuma – Dawurampong cocoa road in the Amenfi East District of the Western Region as part of its commitment to improve on what it termed as ‘cocoa roads’ in the country.
The 55.55Km length road which commenced on August 25, 2020 is expected to be completed in 36 months thus, August, 2023 with 8.0 percent completion currently. It spans from the two districts of Wassa Amenfi Central and Wassa Amenfi East.
On the progress of work, site clearing has already been done with the scope of works as widening of carriageway to 10.3m, construction of 1,467m new pipe culverts of various sizes, construction of 19,950m of 600mm concrete U-drains in communities along the road, construction of 2No. 30m span concrete bridge and 2000m/2 stone pitching of embankments slopes.
The project when completed will lower travel time and prevent unnecessary delays in the movements of machinery and human resources and thus enhance productivity in the small-scale mining companies within the road corridor.
The completion of the project will address the immediate transportation problems of cocoa farmers within the immediate surroundings of the road corridor and lead to overall reduction in production cost.
The road construction is expected to improve on the socio-economic status within the surrounding communities and create direct and indirect jobs for the citizenry, especially the indigenous people.
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Dawurampong as part of his two-day working visit to the Western Region, Dr. Bawumia explained that the project when completed will act as a catalyst for the economic growth of the various towns along the road.
He therefore called on the people and the traditional leaders to have the confidence in the Nana Addo-led government and retain them to do more for the constituents and the people of Ghana at large by voting massively for the NPP come December 7.
Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD pointed out that the completion of the project will help increase mining revenue since production cost will be minimized.
According to him, accidents due to bad road conditions will be reduced, hence safety of lives and property will be enhanced while in case of emergency, there will be good roads to transport people, especially pregnant women and accident victims to nearby hospitals.
He enumerated the successes chalked in cocoa production in the first term of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and urged the people not to take the National Democratic Congress’ ( NDC) propaganda of free fertilizer seriously.
He announced that the cocoa pruning and hand pollination initiative introduced by the Government has tremendously changed cocoa production in the country and bringing a big relief to farmers.
He mentioned that thirty-thousand youths will be engaged to embark on the cocoa tree cutting exercise in the area to rid the farms of the dreaded swollen shoot disease for a replant.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
