The Chiefs and people of Prestea Himan and Bogoso in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region have appealed to the government to pay attention to the 25km road linking the two towns.
According to them, the two towns have huge economic potential for the local and national economy.
They said the current state of the road was torturous and does not befit a town known for its extractive and huge commercial activities that support the livelihood of thousands of residents of the area.
The chiefs
Speaking at a press conference, the Divisional Chief of Prestea Himan, Nana Nteboah Prah IV, made a passionate appeal to the government to urgently intervene to address the deplorable state of the Bogoso-Prestea Road.
One of the roads linking the communities
The bad road, he said, is a major pain point in the area; it has exposed the residents to needless accidents, crashes and fatalities, sometimes traffic congestion, stranded passengers, trenches on the roads, with portions becoming so narrow due to the damage, wasting time and fuel and increasing maintenance costs for both commercial and private vehicle owners.
Prestea-Bogoso is known for its bustling local economy as gold mines in the area have significant economic potential, with an estimated 5.1 million ounces of gold reserves or even more.
The restart of operations by the gold mining firms is expected to create hundreds of local jobs and revive economic activity in the municipality and also enable the creation of a global gold-backed by the local economy.
“However, as at now, our roads can best be described as a death trap as the poor nature of their current state cripples economic activities in the area and complicates issues,” he said.
Nature of the road
The deplorable nature of the road, he said, has subjected residents to untold hardship for about a decade and a half.
“Let me point out that we are at the mercy of the weather, irrespective of the season.
During the rainy season, both private and commercial vehicles get stuck while during dry seasons, clouds of dust engulf the people, causing social discomfort and respiratory problems for young and old,” he said.
He said the condition of the road has remained poor despite several changes in government, making the people of Prestea feel neglected and abandoned, adding: “The situation has become life-threatening, as accidents, armed robbery, excessive dust and rising transport fares have become a daily reality for commuters and traders.”
Fixing the Bogoso-Prestea stretch, Nana Nteboah Prah said, will significantly improve the socio-economic development of the municipality and the region, as it would ease the movement of goods and services, reduce travel time, and improve security along the long stretch.
Benefits
Prestea-Bogoso remains one of the very important mining and economic hubs in the region, known for gold and other industry activities.
However, today, businesses are collapsing and drivers are overcharging passengers due to frequent vehicle breakdowns.
Nana Nteboah Prah IV, who commended the government for its resolve to ensure that infrastructure improved across the country, called for attention to his area, saying, “We want to commend the sector ministry for its resolve to work on roads under the Big Push agenda by the government.
Good initiative, but we plead for our share.”
He said the chiefs and people of Prestea Himan and Bogoso wish to appeal to the government to consider the area under the proposed Big Push infrastructure initiative, since the people of Prestea have suffered enough.
The continued delay in fixing the road, he said, could lead to more avoidable deaths, and he appealed to stakeholders and authorities to treat the situation as a national emergency.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh