Construction of the permanent Asuokow footbridge in the Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region — commissioned to replace a dangerous makeshift log crossing used by schoolchildren — appears stalled, the area’s Member of Parliament, Hon. Emmanuel Drah, has told Rainbow Radio.
The Asuokow River (also called River Ayensu) swells during heavy rains in the forest zone, making the old log crossing hazardous for pupils.
The footbridge was intended to remove that danger, but Hon. Drah said on Nyankonton Mu Nsem that he is disappointed with progress on the project.
Hon. Drah said he was the principal official who pushed the government, the relevant ministry, and other stakeholders to start the project, but that he has since been left out after the contract was awarded.
According to him, the slow progress of the work raises questions about whether the contract was even awarded diligently in the first place. He expressed deep disappointment that the project has stalled, noting that the scope of work is not even that massive.
He reiterated that he has no knowledge of who the contractor is and has never been consulted on the matter.
“As a sitting MP, I do not know who the contractor is,” he said. “Whenever I visit the site, I find no one there.” He added that he is even unsure whether the District Chief Executive is aware of the contractor’s identity.
“I wonder why contractors do that,” he continued. “The mistake they make is forgetting about key stakeholders. What they fail to recognize is that MPs have a crucial role to play in the execution of projects within their constituencies. For instance, I have an unoccupied house at Adeiso that I could have offered to the contractor and his team for accommodation. But as I said, the contractor has not engaged me. We are ready to help, but I have been completely ignored.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
