Ntiri-Buoho Residents Plead To Government To Speed Up Works On Their Shattered Bridge

People at Hemang Buoho in the Afigya Kwabre South District have commended government for attending to their broken bridge and terrible state of their road, a challenging situation they have been tackling for the past four months.

Residents petitioned Hon. Kwasi Karikari Acheamfuor, the District Chief Executive to come to their aid concerning the deplorable state of their road last month in a report made by Soireenews after 40 school children endangered their lives in a school bus near the bridge whiles been transported to school.

Works on the bridge begun last week and the road to Ntiri-Buoho has been ceased due to the ongoing restoration exercise. A narrow route which could accommodate pedestrians was constructed by workers to prevent distraction on the site leaving drivers out.

As at the time of filing the report, inhabitants who had to cross the broken bridge to join a car to Afrancho and Kejetia walked across the wooden bridge to the other side whiles people from Afrancho to Buoho did likewise. Parents whose wards habitually joined school buses escorted them from home to cross the span before they could join the car. They are required to take note of their arrival from school and picked them back home.

According to Mrs. Mavis, mother of two children, the fractured bridge by the contractor has deepened their woes and given them much charge over their children.

“The works on the bridge has now become our greatest challenge. I stay at Ntiri Buoho Soldier (quiet a distant from the bridge). I had to alight and walk for a while before reaching home. I later have to walk back to await my children from school. our plead is simple, government should speed up work to make life easier for us here,” she addressed.

Young Ciara, a pupil worriedly expressed that installation of the new bridge has brought about delay in their turn up at school because she had to walk a few miles from Achiase to Hemang, nearby towns to expect the car behind the bridge.

The Taxi Drivers Association in the area disclosed that the District Chief Executive apart from initiating the construction of the bridge and road instead of seeking their welfare by crafting a temporal road for them to ply on overlooked, their services and went ahead to start works.

“We are in tough times here. Its either we take the Sasa Buoho route to the main Offinso highway before heading to Kumasi and other suburbs. It’s a long distance. We met together as drivers and discussed the ways to control the cost incur and the uneasiness. After the discussion, we decided to hire a caterpillar to fill the other side of the road to be able to manage and move people to and from without going through the long distance,” Wofa K. addressed.

The Trader drivers also expressed discontent at the Contractors attitude to commence work without discussing with any of the drivers. Mr. Adu Gyamfi, a member of the Trader Drivers Association defined the act as an abuse of authority for the reason that it was mandatory for road workers to deliberate and issue a notice to drivers and residents before starting work. He questioned the person undertaking the job and explicated his duty that “he had to consider the welfare and safety of drivers and residents and provide them a way to ease the stress before going ahead with the work”.

Mr. Gyamfi further revealed that the association of Trade Drivers consulted the contractor on why he snubbed their concerns but according to him, the contractor stated that the work would be completed in a short period i.e. three month’s time so there was no cause for alarm.

“His answer was absurd. So he expects us to stay in our houses and go jobless until three months’ time. Is this a good habit to put up work without notice? This is a lack of respect and regard. You cannot wake up and begin to embark on work to affect people in an undesirable manner,” he heatedly told.

The Assemblyman, Hon. John Arthur dismissed the words of the drivers for failing to inform them. According to him, the Assembly dedicated three days for public announcement for the inhabitants to meet the contractor in order to find solutions on how the bridge will be completed.

“The DCE spoke and assured us that it will take three months to finish the building of a new bridge therefore all cars must ply through Sasa to Kumasi”.

Mr. Arthur after dismissing words that the Assembly did not reason with the people before resuming works informed Soireenews that the expenditure for the works on the bridge did not come from the coffers of the various towns. He disclosed that the Quarry Companies as part of their cooperate responsibility to the society are going on board with the work in partnership with District Assembly who are making use of funds charged from company cars that ply on the road.

He therefore called on the contractor to speed up work to alleviate stress and the weight people are going through.