The government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has secured a facility of about $100 million to construct the Volivo Bridge in the Volta Region.
The project, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, said would equally see to the construction of some roads in the Volta and Oti enclave.
Mr Amoako-Attah, who made this known when a delegation from the Oti Regional House of Chiefs called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday, said there were some roads in the region that the government had targeted to work on.
“We plan to do about five, which include Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta road.
We also want to upgrade Borai Junction to Chindere road and we also plan to upgrade the Kpassa to Timgyase and Okajakrom to Kwamekrom roads, as well as the Nkwanta to Chichiga road,” he assured.
Bridge
Mr Amoako-Attah, who was responding to some demands by the chiefs concerning the construction of roads in the Oti Region, said: “I am also happy to mention that designs for the 1.6km bridge over the Oti River were ready and currently being reviewed by the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA).
He said the Oti Region had since 2017 had its fair share of roads totalling 445.5km and added that the Jasikan-Dodo-Pepesu road had been done to an asphaltic level, while Jasikan-Kadjebi-Nkwanta road had also been done.
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, said prospects for the construction of the six regional Houses of Chiefs had commenced when he assumed office but there was a little delay from the Ministry of Finance.
He, however, said a letter came in about two months ago, and “we are going through sole sourcing arrangements to make it quicker”.
Responding to a request for training on chieftaincy laws, Mr Asamoah Boateng said a committee had been set up to work with a former Supreme Court judge to help fashion out a dispute resolution mechanism.
He said there would also be a training programme with the judiciary.
SOCO Projects
The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, assured the chiefs and people of Oti of their share of development projects, saying four districts in the Oti Region had been roped into the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion Project (SOCO projects) through the directive of President Akufo-Addo.
“This year, the four districts will benefit from GH¢ 16.4 millions of SOCO projects and next year, we have allocated GH¢ 35.7 million. Dambai, the regional capital, is also benefiting from GH¢ 12.3 million,” Mr Botwe announced.
President Akufo-Addo said he was happy that the chiefs and people of the region had seen the creation of the Oti Region as a positive step in their lives and added that it was their choice and demand and he had to act as required by the constitution.
On the road construction, President Akufo-Addo said his administration had built 445.5km of roads in the Oti Region and that in putting the picture together, that ought not to be overlooked.
President Akufo-Addo, who was particularly concerned about the problem with the spillage from the Akosombo Dam and its effects on the people, said the Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to look into the problem was working systematically to address those problems area by area.
He expressed optimism that soon the committee would have a package ready for the various areas, including the Oti Region.
House of Chiefs
Earlier, the President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs and Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, praised President Akufo-Addo for the creation of the Oti Region, which he said had opened up the area, and was already facilitating development in the region.
He mentioned the construction of some major roads, scramble for land, development projects, creation of job opportunities and increased economic activities as some of the immediate benefits from the creation of the region.
He called for the urgent construction of the bridge on the Oti River, as well as the construction of an office accommodation for the House of Chiefs to enhance its work.
Nana Besemuna also touched on chieftaincy disputes in the region and proposed that chiefs be trained on the chieftaincy laws to minimise them.
He said many of the people fomenting the conflicts did not know the laws and that the training would enable them to get a better understanding of the institution.
He also appealed to the President to help extend relief items to the flood victims in the region since some residents had also been displaced, while the Dambai fish market had been submerged due to the rising levels of the water.
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