By: Nicholas Osei-Wusu
President Akufo-Addo has rounded up his four-day tour of the Ashanti region with inspection tour of ongoing development projects at various locations.
GBC News Correspondent reports that President Akufo-Addo began the last and 4th day of his working tour of the Ashanti region with an inspection visit to the Apire where he assessed the progress of work on the 14.65-kilometre Santasi-Apire-Bebu-Ampabame feeder road which execution began on 21st February, 2021 with a project duration of 18 months.
The project is being constructed by Kofi Job Construction company, an indigenous firm at a cost of 149 point-seven million Ghana Cedis to ease the movement difficulties users of that stretch have been enduring over the years.
Upon completion, the asphalted road is expected to be an alternative route for motorists and commuters to and from three administrative districts including Atwima Kwanwoma.
The Contractor took President Akufo-Addo through the scopes of work, progress of work and also indicated that the company is working towards meeting the August 2023 timeline.
The Consulting Engineer of Kofi Kofi Construction Company, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who is also a former Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways during President Akufo-Addo’s first term, told GBC News that, with regular fund releases by the government, the company will ensure that the project is completed and delivered before moving out of site.
President Akufo-Addo, accompanied by some Ministers of State including the Minister for Roads and Highways, Akwasi Amoako Atta, inspected also progress of work on the 30-kilometre Anwiankwanta-Obuasi road.
The project entails a single lane from Anwiankwanta to the outskirt of the Obuasi West Municipality before it is expanded into a dual carriage to the Traffic Light intersection.
He made a whistle stop to interact with the traditional leaders and the residents to assure them of his government’s commitment to complete the road construction which is now said to be about 80 percent complete.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Amoako Atta also said upon completion of the Kokoben-Anwiankwa stretch of the road into a dual carriage, the entire neighborhood will be opened up to attract investors while reducing traveling time for the users.
The next port of call for President Akufo-Addo was the site of the Atwima Kwanwoma District Hospital of the government’s flagship health infrastructural project code-named ‘Agenda 111’. The Tr3d3 Hospital is the foremost of all such projects since that was where the President symbolically broke the grounds for commencement of construction of all the hospitals in the country in September last year.
The project is being executed by three different local construction firms namely Reliance, NICKSETH and RikAir companies.
He was briefed about the progress of work by the project Consultant. The last place of visit was the site of the Accident and Trauma Hospital located at Bidiem (pronounced as in inside charcoal) in the Obuasi West Municipality.
President Akufo-Addo was informed that total work done is about 35 percent and that steps are being taken to ensure that the project completion date of 2023 is met.
On completion, the Hospital, the first of its kind in the Ashanti region to cater for emergency medical cases, will have an Emergency and Trauma Centre, Pediatric Wards with residential accommodations for some of the key employees.
