Blame Hawa Koomson For Abandoning Kasoa Road Projects - NDC Secretary

Former Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly of the Central Region, Mr Amadu Tuariq Mohammed Sibaway, has taken a swipe at the Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya East who doubles as the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson for wrongly attacking the five road contraction companies working on Kasoa roads for abandoning the projects.

According to the MP, the abandoning of the road projects were affecting the easy transportation in Kasoa and its adjoining communities.

Mr Sibaway who doubles as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Secretary for Awutu Senya East told that they were surprised to hear Mrs Koomson blaming the five contractors for the abandoning of the Kasoa road projects since she was personally aware of the main challenges facing the implementation of the projects.

He described the MP as a 'hypocrite', cautioning her to stop lamenting about the delay of the road projects in the area since the contractors cannot work without paying of their monies.

Mr Sibaway was responding to the recent threats issued by Mrs Koomson on why ongoing works on the Kasoa road has been neglected.

It would be recalled that Mrs Koomson has expressed her displeasure to the numerous roads left unattended by contractors and charged that contractors to go back and complete all the roads for easy transportation before they are terminated.

The challenges of bad roads in Kasoa Hon. Koomson stated, is attributed to the lazy attitude of some contractors.

She, therefore, urged all those who have been awarded road contracts and have left them unattended, to go back and complete them.

“If they can’t do the roads’ they should tell us so that, it can be awarded to different contractors who are serious and think about the drivers and the people of Kasoa," she revealed saying, what pains her most was that, when the contractors were in need of the road contracts, they were continuously putting pressure with comments such as ” We are ready to do the work. Give us the opportunity, we have money to start the job”.

She noted that, as soon as the contracts were given to the contractors, they started developing some attitude and began to delay the projects which enable the people of Kasoa to direct their anger on her.

“If you look at the entire Kasoa since I became the MP, there are about five contractors in the road construction but, only one of them have been able to complete his project. Iron City road has not been completed and my own area is also not completed. If you go to the American farm area, it's not complete. Walantu road is not complete. If you go to Kaemebre Down Town, it is not complete. When you pass ADB road, it is not complete. If you talk about it, the only excuse they give you is that they don’t have money. If you don’t have money why should you come for the contract? I beg of them, I beg of them.”

However, the outburst of the MP didn't go down with Mr Sibaway who has immediately taken on the MP, saying that she should blame herself for the challenges facing the implementation of the projects within her constituency.

He pointed that the MP should be held responsible for the delaying of the projects because it was under her administration as the Minister of Special Initiative of which the contracts under the Coastal Development Authority were started.

"Having been the former substantive Minister for Special Initiative then and also having her campaign Manager, Mr Emmanuel Kwojo Anim Afram as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Coastal Development Authority responsible for the awarding of the said road contracts to the five contractors, we think that the MP should blame the contractors because she has not played any leading role for the contractors to be paid on time for their works done," Mr Sibaway apportioned.

He asserted that if the then Minister for Special Initiative should have done her work well by way of seeing to it that the contractors were paid on time the contractors would not have left the site by now.

According to him, the MP is only giving the contractors a bad name just to hang them.

"How do expect road contractors to move to the site when they have not been paid for work done so far done? he queried.

He noted that the road contractor who still has his asphalt overlay machines religiously packed in front of the Puma fuel station around Coca-Cola since  December 6 2020 till date has not been paid a dime.

Mr Sibaway cautioned that the MP must stop the lamentations and work to get monies owed to these contractors to be paid.

"To tell the MP the truth, the contractors are stressed, and I only pray, they don't die like the fishes which were washed ashore due to some stress in the high seas," he added.

Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu